MLK Day of Service

#MLKDay #TheArcServes

MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday recognized as a National Day of Service, inviting people across the country to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by giving back to their communities. Instead of a “day off,” it is meant to be a “day on”—a day to spread compassion, support our neighbors, and work toward the inclusive and just society Dr. King envisioned.

This nationwide effort is supported by AmeriCorps, the federal agency that leads the MLK Day of Service initiative. AmeriCorps encourages organizations and volunteers to join together on projects that meet real community needs—especially in areas such as hunger relief, education, health, and supporting families.

At The Arc of South Carolina, our MLK Day projects bring people with and without disabilities together to serve side-by-side. We focus on activities that help fight food insecurity and strengthen our community, such as preparing meals, gathering food donations, and supporting local partners who help families in need.

By serving together, we honor Dr. King’s legacy of unity, justice, and love—and help build a community where everyone belongs.

How You Can Serve All Year Long!

Want to Sponsor Our Event?

Learn How Your School Can Help

Learn How You Can Help!

PBJ Thank you

PXL_20260117_151745337

1e64be0f-a3ae-4297-abfd-02d0a21aac8b

PBJ Thank you

1/35

Tap the image above to see highlights from the day.

MLK Day of Service PB&J Sandwich-Making Competition 2026

On Saturday, January 17, 2026, our community came together at the University of South Carolina Russell House Ballroom to honor Dr. King’s legacy through service.

With more than 200 volunteers, we made 2,133 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to help feed people experiencing food insecurity across the Midlands. Every sandwich represented care, dignity, and neighbors showing up for neighbors.

Where the sandwiches went

These sandwiches were distributed to hunger-focused organizations across our community:

153 Project SC
Rapid Shelter Columbia
Katheryn M. Bellfield Booker Washington Heights Cultural Arts Center
Nancy K. Perry Children’s Shelter
Transitions Homeless Center
Washington Street Soup Cellar

We are deeply grateful to the University of South Carolina for hosting this event again, to the many USC students who participated, and to the USC Leadership and Service Center for helping organize student involvement.

Thank you to Healthwood Hall Episcopal School and Meadow Glen Elementary School, and to the many students, families, and educators who participated and supported this day of service.

We are also thankful to the Babcock Center Foundation for their generous $500 donation and to Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union, whose team volunteered throughout the day with setup, sandwich making, and cleanup.

We are grateful for our Civitan partners—the Civitan Club of Columbia and Dutch Fork Civitan Club—including Marc Steele, Bruce Langenhuizen, Bill Tolleson, and the Doudoukjian family, as well as Anastasia Ford and her family (AKOMA Cares) for their continued support.

Share your photos

We’ll be adding more photos as they come in. If you have pictures you'd like to share, please send them to thearc@arcsc.org.

Thank you for partnering with The Arc of SC, The Arc of the United States, and AmeriCorps to make this MLK Day of Service a huge success.