Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center and Michael Smith, CEO of AmeriCorps, joined Hands On Atlanta and volunteers in our warehouse for a hygiene pack and to paint a mural on Friday, Jan. 17.

It’s Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025 and it’s snowing in Atlanta, GA.

It was just 10 days ago when 5-6 inches of perfect packing snow painted the city. Snowmen came alive across neighborhoods, kids (and let’s face it - grown adults, myself included) were sledding down the streets and literally skiing in Piedmont Park, and the start of the 2025 MLK Days of Service was put on hold.

The good news is the snow didn’t last for long, and what came next was one of the biggest, most impactful stretches of service in our 35 years. Together, 5,000 volunteers showed up at over 400 projects in support of 75 different nonprofits and schools. The week culminated on the King Holiday alongside the College Football Playoff National Championship (did you see us on ESPN?) and the start of a new presidential administration.

Here’s a look back at some of the highlighted projects from the historic, 2025 MLK Days of Service.

Food Works at 970 Jefferson

150 Volunteers from Coca-Cola, Home Depot, OneDigital, Salesforce and Google Fiber joined Hands On Atlanta, Urban Recipe and Food Well Alliance at our shared warehouse space for a huge meal pack.

Cargill Atlanta Grand Opening Meals4Kids Pack

125 Volunteers from Cargill learned about the challenges of food insecurity in metro Atlanta, packed 1,000 meal kits (3,000+ meals) for students in Hands On Atlanta partner Title 1 schools.
Georgia Governor, Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor, Andre Dickens were both in attendance to help welcome Cargill to Atlanta.

Hygiene Helpers at 970 Jefferson

100 Volunteers from Coca-Cola & Fiserv packed 1,000 Hygiene Care Kits, with essential items and warm weather gear that was donated to the Old Fourth Ward community through Ebenezer Baptist and Restoring One’s Hope.
We were joined by special guests Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center and Michael Smith, CEO of AmeriCorps.

Latin American Association Food Drive

Close to 50 volunteers from The Home Depot and 11Alive packed and distributed meals to more than 200 families.
We were joined by the 11Alive news team, where meteorologist Melissa Nord reported live throughout the morning.

11th Annual MLK Sunday Supper presented by Coca-Cola

300 of Atlanta’s most influential community, civic and corporate leaders joined Hands On Atlanta at the Atlanta History Center for an evening of dialogue and discourse on environmental justice.
Presenters included Rodney Bullard, CEO of The Same House, Nathanial Smith, founder and CEO of Partnership for Southern Equity, Chandra Farley, Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Atlanta, Mindy Goldstein Director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program at Emory University and Cheryl Preheim, morning anchor at 11Alive.
Entertainment was provided by an incredible premiere of the Theatrical Outfit’s upcoming hip hop musical, Young John Lewis.
View the program, the list of table facilitators, our discussion guide and more here.

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Hope Hill Elementary Championship Drive

200 Volunteers from The College Football Playoff Foundation packed 1,000 STEAM Kits, 1,000 Meal Kits and 100 Teacher Support Kits at Hope Hill Elementary School.
Special guests included all 50 “Teacher of the Year” Award winners, 40 Hands On Atlanta AmeriCorps members and members of the AT&T team who presented Hope Hill Elementary with a surprise donation!

Meals4Kids Pack with Delta Air Lines

150 Volunteers from Delta Air Lines packed 2,000 Meal Kits (5,000 meals) that were donated donated to Hands On Atlanta partner Title 1 schools.

With all that impact, there are still more ways to celebrate Dr. King. Morehouse College has a series of events taking place throughout the month. Learn more and get involved here.

Here’s a look at some scenes of service from around the city.