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Community Service Projects for Kids and Families on Martin Luther King Jr Day

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  • Alex Scott at her stand
    Alex Scott at her stand

By: Trish Adkins

Alex Scott was just 4 years old when she told her parents that she wanted to host a lemonade stand. That initial and extraordinary lemonade stand raised $2,000 and launched a movement to cure childhood cancer.

Like Alex, all kids can make a difference! Get your own family involved in a service project just in time for the National Day of Service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here are some ideas that help kids learn about community service:

1. Host A Hot Chocolate Stand

Take advantage of a day off from work and school and host a lemonade stand. If it is a cold day, bundle up and serve hot chocolate instead of lemonade! You can register your stand here. After you register, you will have a fundraising page you can share to invite friends and family to make donations! 

2. Plan a Lemonade Stand

Like to plan ahead? Well, use the National Day of Service to plan a springtime lemonade stand. Held every June, Lemonade Days is a time when supporters all around the world join together to host lemonade stands, just like Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) founder Alex Scott did. Lemonade Days will be held June 3-June 11, 2023. Learn more here.

3. Turn Athlethics Into Service
Are you or your child playing a winter or spring sport? Turn your athletic accomplishments into childhood cancer research by becoming a Champion for Kids with Cancer.  Whether you are a basketball player scoring points, a goalie making saves, a baseball player stealing home, or a cyclist riding miles, when you sign up to be a Champion, you can make a difference. Here's how it works--you sign up below and create a Champion page. Through your page, friends and family can pledge or donate to show their support. As your athletic accomplishments add up, so do the donations. For example, $2 per point x 50 points in the season = $100 donation to your page to support children with cancer.  Teams are also welcome to register together and track their achievements as a group throughout the season.

Champions can sign up here.

4. Sell Old Toys and Books
Maybe you’ve gotten on a purge kick for the New Year and been inspired to get rid of all the things you don't use anymore. Instead of throwing them away, kids can help plan a garage sale or list items on eBay and give the proceeds to ALSF! (Bonus: noting that your sale benefits a great charity can help drive sales.

Looking for more community service ideas for your kids? Check out these great ideas.

Get Involved