On January 19, 2009, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, President Barack Obama, Vice-President Joseph Biden, DC Council members and more than 32,000 service-minded citizens gathered in the nation’s capital Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Serve DC, The Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism, has been the lead coordinator for MLK Day of Service events in the District of Columbia since 2006. Recognizing MLK, Jr. Day of Service as "a day ON, not a day OFF", volunteers worked at over 180 projects across the District of Columbia serving their communities. Serve DC partnered with District agencies, faith and community-based organizations, schools and the business community to provide residents and visitors exciting service opportunities spread throughout all eight wards. The theme for the MLK Day of Service 2009 was Realizing the Dream.

Creating care packages for soldiers overseas was Serve DC’s flagship project this year. First Lady Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and many more dignitaries and VIPs joined more than 10,000 volunteers at RFK Memorial Stadium to assemble over 85,000 care packages for troops who are serving overseas. At the Martin Luther King Memorial Library, in Northwest DC, the “We Feed Our People Outdoor Soup Kitchen,” provided upwards of 1,000 meals, warm clothing, and important health information to the homeless. Other projects included greening and cleaning of the Anacostia, serving meals to US Veterans, beautifying schools, classes on mentoring and tutoring, and intergenerational reading and learning opportunities. Mark your calendars: the next Martin Luther King, Jr Day of Service will be held on January 18, 2010.