Community Involvement

Points of Light, with support from KPMG Foundation and the Corporation for National and Community Service, will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 15 by engaging more than 90,000 individuals in acts of service through 1,575 service projects and civic dialogue events in more than 50 communities in partnership with local Points of Light affiliates and nonprofits across the country. MLK Day marks the beginning of the service year as hundreds of thousands of individuals will honor the memory of Dr. King by contributing their time, talent and voice to improve their communities.

MLK Day of Service is an opportunity to remember history and re-commit ourselves as citizens by volunteering in service to one another. It is also a time to consider how much work still remains to fulfill Dr. King’s dream. We at Common Impact believe service is a powerful tool for strengthening the communities in which we live and work.

At Comcast NBCUniversal, making a positive impact in the communities where our employees live and work is a core value that we embrace all year long.

Through our partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters, for example, hundreds of our employees mentor local school children at Comcast offices nationwide. They also serve as ambassadors to their local communities to help underserved families bridge the digital divide through access to technology. Additionally, our employees share their professional skills, from marketing, human resources and legal expertise, to help strengthen nonprofit organizations.

Each year, we celebrate this year-round commitment to communities through Comcast Cares Day, which this year will take place on April 21.

Global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland has a longstanding commitment to protect and restore the outdoors. For Timberland, the outdoors encompass backcountry trails as well as well-worn paths in city parks, community gardens and other urban green spaces where employees and consumers live, work, and explore. Today, 54% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 66% by 2050.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s commitment to service, we are spotlighting an incredible story from Stephanie Burgess, one of our outstanding skills-based volunteers from Charles Schwab. Thank you, Stephanie, for sharing your heartfelt story with us and for allowing us to see the true impact that skills-based volunteering can have, both for the volunteer and the nonprofit organization.

In honor of MLK Day on Monday, we are spotlighting an inspiring story from Steve Neff, one of Common Impact's board members and Head of Technology and Global Services at Fidelity Investments. Steve's commitment to service and dedication to volunteerism provides our team with the motivation to continue to fulfill our mission of strengthening the local communities in which we live and work on a daily basis.

JetBlue announced the 100-day milestone of its 100x35JetBlue hurricane relief initiative, which launched shortly after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in September 2017. A nod to the island’s 100x35 mile dimensions, 100x35JetBlue outlined 100 days and 35 ways – and beyond – of caring for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. JetBlue has completed or launched 34 of the 35 initiatives, and now transitions to initiative #35: developing a long-term plan for supporting Puerto Rico and fostering economic growth.

As MLK Day approaches, Common Impact is encouraging our partners to make it a day "on," not a day off. To honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's legacy were lifting up our inspiring employee volunteers who have a strong commitment to civic engagement and are deeply involved in strengthening the livelihood of their local communities.

Join Taproot Foundation’s webinar on Wednesday, January 24 for all the tools you need to get started on Taproot+, their cost-free online platform that connects nonprofits with skilled volunteers for short-term pro bono projects.