Press Release: #ActNow and Serve with Others in Chicago Over MLK Weekend

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jason Edelstein, 510-239-1102

Local organizations partner to offer service and learning experiences throughout Chicagoland

Chicago, IL – Upcoming opportunities abound in Chicago for those looking to connect with and engage in service in celebration of MLK Weekend. In partnership with Silverstein Base Hillel, Mishkan Chicago, OneTable, Jewish United Fund (JUF), and many other partners, Repair the World Chicago is offering an array of experiences to address and highlight pressing local needs—including civic Shabbat dinners, expert talks on racial and economic justice, and volunteer opportunities—as part of its national #ActNow campaign.

“We’ve been on the ground in Chicago for about six-months building relationships with the people and organizations who best know this community and its needs,” says Melissa Schwarz, Program Coordinator for Repair the World Chicago. “We want to support and amplify our partners’ ongoing efforts to address local needs, and the dinners, talks, and service this MLK weekend show how important it is to develop these types of local relationships.”

On Friday, January 17, OneTable, JUF, and numerous other partners will kick off MLK weekend across Chicagoland with 10 simultaneous civic Shabbat dinners, bringing service and Jewish values to the Shabbat dinner table. These Shabbat dinners will foster conversation among young adults seeking meaningful dialogue about contemporary civil rights and social justice issues. Framing the conversation with Jewish values, the dinners will be grassroots-driven, intimate dining experiences that will inspire action. 

On MLK Day, Monday, January 20th, people can join Chicago Repair, Mishkan Chicago, JCUA, Avodah, and Silverstein Base Hillel: Lincoln Park for the fourth annual MLK dinner and discussion. Tonika Lewis Johnson, a visual artist/ photographer from Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, will discuss urban segregation and the nuance and richness of the black community. In addition, volunteers can play games and engage in activities for children at the Northwestern Settlement on the morning of MLK Day, organized by JUF’s Young Leadership Division.

“We want people to be inspired to act and to create change,” adds Schwarz. “We honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring legacy and lifelong commitment to equity, by learning about the needs of and serving in solidarity with our neighbors.” 

Repair the World’s resources and facilitation guides related to Martin Luther King, Jr. and racial justice are available at go.werepair.org/mlk-day, as are listings of additional service opportunities nationally. 

Repair the World’s peer-to-peer model of engagement through service grounded in Jewish values is on the ground in nine different communities today. Repair works closely with local nonprofits to address urgent community needs, including food justice, education justice, criminal justice reform, housing needs, racial equity, and more. 

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