Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2012

For the past 25 years Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the third Monday in January, has been a federal holiday. Since then Martin Luther King Jr. Day has morphed into a day of service—a day when, because many businesses are closed and people have off from work and school, Americans can spend the day giving back.

Whether you have the day off from work, you're retired, or you simply want to give back, there are many ways that you can get involved. Thanks to the Internet it's easy to find service projects in your area to which you can contribute manpower—and woman power—on Martin Luther King Jr Day 2012. Because Home Goes Strong is all about the home, I've narrowed down your options to how you can help at someone else's home, garden, or neighborhood by giving back. Here are 3 organizations that can help you find ways to give back on MLK Day 2012.

• All for Good: All For Good is an offshoot of the Points of Light Foundation. All For Good is all about making it easier for Americans to give back. When I visited the All For Good website to find service opportunities for MLK Day in my area, I discovered that I could choose from projects as varied as working on murals to beautify a neighborhood in Trenton, New Jersey, to painting the interior of a transitional home for the homeless in the Germantown section of Philadelphia.
• Habitat for Humanity: Habitat for Humanity is practically the granddaddy of good causes related to housing. If you want to build houses to help those in need, you hook up with Habitat for Humanity. Visit the Habitat for Humanity website and search for "MLK Day of Service" to see if your local affiliate has a program planned for January 16th. Another option is to get involved with Habitat's Brush with Kindness program, which is ongoing and provides exterior repairs and improvements, free of charge, to low-income homeowners.
• Volunteer Match: VolunteerMatch.org is all about matching would-be volunteers with volunteer opportunities. While the site does not have a section devoted specifically to MLK Day of Service, there are plenty of ways for you to search for volunteer projects. You can search by zip code, key word, or even choose from one of 11 categories, including animals, education, and the environment.