Children Bring Dr. King’s Famous Words ‘Everybody Can Be Great Because Everybody Can Serve’ To Life

NEW YORK, NY (01/21/2008)(readMedia)-- Answering a call to service – thousands of young people, their families will have a day on, not a day off, to bring to life Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream. Volunteers will spend their day giving during Children for Children’s _Grow Involved_® on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, run in partnership with the “I Have A Dream” Foundation®, and made possible by the Citi Foundation.

Volunteers will serve at two different locations January, 21st 2008 (10:00am and 2:00pm):

• Martin Luther King Jr. High School at 122 Amsterdam Avenue (at 65th street)

• P.S.57, the James Weldon Johnson School at 176 East 115th Street (at Third Avenue) between 10:00am t0 2:00pm.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Volunteers will participate in the following projects along with many others:

• Fleece Scarves for the Homeless – Decorate a fleece scarf to keep someone warm in the winter. Scarves will be donated to homeless shelters around New York, and the Coalition for the Homeless.

• Toiletry Care Kits for the Homeless – These kits, containing soap, shampoo, toothpaste, a toothbrush and deodorant will be donated to shelters across New York City, given as a welcome when individuals come to the shelters.

• Painting a Mural in Honor of Service – Help us paint our colorful MLK murals to inspire others to engage in service and volunteering.

“We are continually inspired by the enthusiasm with which thousands of volunteers embrace the importance of engaging youth from all backgrounds in service and giving starting at an early age,” said Maggie Jones, Executive Director of Children for Children (CFC). “It is amazing to see so many people give up their day off to get involved in their community.”

“Dr. King,” volunteer David Martins, 13, of PS 89, said,”would be proud if he saw this day of service. “He would know that what he did was something big,” he said.

Interviews:

Maggie Jones, Executive Director of Children for Children, can discuss the “Grow Involved” event, service learning and how it helps youth realize the benefits of volunteering. Silda Wall Spitzer, the founder of Children for Children, can discuss the meaning of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and how his life of service inspires her. Young volunteers how have participated in past “Grow Involved” events can talk about their decision to volunteer and demonstrate samples of volunteer projects.

For more information on Grow Involved® on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and its hands-on projects, contact: Sara Garlick; Children for Children; 212.850.4172; sara@childrenforchildren.org. For more information on the “I Have A Dream” Foundation, contact: Noelle Dong; “I Have A Dream” Foundation; 212.293.5480 ext. 35; ndong@ihad.org; www.ihad.org

Children for Children, a non profit organization founded by parents in 1996, fosters community involvement and social responsibility in young people. CFC’s wide range of programs encourage children to Grow Involved®, beginning at an early age, helping children and others. CFC also provides resources to schools that allow them to incorporate service-learning into their programs. CFC engages more than 52,000 young people across the country each year. To learn more, visit: www.childrenforchildren.org.

The “I Have A Dream” Foundation empowers children in low-income communities to achieve higher education by providing them with guaranteed tuition support and equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and habits they need to gain entry to higher education and succeed in college and beyond. Through a unique approach, “I Have A Dream” sponsors an entire grade level of 50-150 students, called “Dreamers”, in public elementary schools or public housing developments, and the program works with these students from an early age all the way to college. Upon high school graduation, each Dreamer receives guaranteed tuition assistance for higher education. Currently, more than 4,000 Dreamers are on the pathway to college in 16 states, Washington, D.C., and New Zealand, following some 10,000 Dreamers who came before them. To learn more, visit: www.ihad.org.

Citi, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Citi's major brands include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.

The Citi Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Citi, focuses its grant and giving activities primarily in three areas: financial education, educating the next generation, and building communities and entrepreneurs. Additional information can be found at www.citigroup.com/citigroup/corporate/foundation/.

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