PULL-A-PART TEAM MEMBERS VOLUNTEER TO SUPPORT SERVICE PROJECTS ON MLK DAY

"LIFE'S MOST PERSISTENT AND URGENT QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR OTHERS?" - REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

This is one of the most well-known quotes of the late Reverend Dr.  Martin Luther King, Jr. and a powerful challenge for all of us to look within and ask ourselves what we are doing for others. Each year, on Dr. King's birthday, we are reminded of the importance of serving those in need, as we now celebrate the life and legacy of one of the greatest civil rights leaders in the history of the world on the third Monday in January. This federal holiday, officially known as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service (MLK Day) is the only federal holiday that is also designated by Congress as a National Day of Service - a "day on, not a day off."

Our company recognizes the importance of both being part of and serving in our communities, which is what our Building Communities initiative is all about. On this MLK Day (and the days around it), team members from across our company are spending time on various service projects important to the communities where we work and live. Here are two examples of the great service work our teams are volunteering to support today:

Helping Mamas

Various team members from our I.T. and Marketing departments in Atlanta are volunteering on a service project for Helping Mamas, a non-profit which distributes essential baby items or period products to benefit mothers and children in need. Helping Mamas was founded by Jamie Lackey, a social worker who saw a gap in services for these mothers and children. After watching moms having to use plastic grocery bags as diapers or washout and reuse disposable diapers, she knew something needed to be done. There were no public assistance programs to provide diapers or period products. Parents were missing work because of diaper needs and babies were experiencing diaper rash infections and teen girls were missing a week of school a month because of a lack of period products.

Combining her passions for motherhood and social work, Lackey founded Helping Mamas out of her garage - collecting baby supplies from friends and family members and then distributing them to social workers serving women and children. By 2018, Helping Mamas had grown into a 9,000 square foot building where they operate today. Helping Mamas now serves more than 60,000 children a year, distributing more than 2 million essential items to the community. Helping Mamas has grown to fight diaper needs and period poverty throughout the States of Georgia and Tennessee.

On this MLK Day of Service, Pull-A-Part volunteers assembled various types of kits Helping Mamas distributes to help mothers and children based on their needs and the age(s) of their children. This effort will enable Helping Mamas to continue its mission of helping mothers and children in need.

The Sandwich Project

Volunteers from our Call Center Operations team at the Pull-A-Part Headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, are dedicating their time on this MLK Day of Service to help The Sandwich Project, a non-profit whose mission is to produce, collect and distribute sandwiches and similar food to organizations that feed those experiencing homelessness and families facing food insecurity in the Metro Atlanta area. A central part of The Sandwich Project's work is to feed children sandwiches, fruit, and items like Clif Bars - through Chris 180's programs at The Promise Center and through donations to various food banks and pantries throughout the area.

Pull-A-Part has purchased sandwich supplies and other food items and our team members spent several hours today assembling sandwiches and other food items into meals they are delivering to The Sandwich Project to help them continue their mission to feed the homeless and families - especially children - dealing with food insecurity.

"All our service work as an organization - both on MLK Day, but throughout the year - is a central component of our Building Communities efforts at Pull-A-Part," says Ross Kogon, CEO of Pull-A-Part. "We are happy to support programs like Helping Mamas and The Sandwich Project - both through financial support and by embracing our employees' passion for volunteering and serving in our communities. We're proud of the work our teams are doing to help others in need and their efforts to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on this MLK Day."

More Information on MLK Day

If you would like more information on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, please visit the U.S. Department of Interior page dedicated to this important holiday.

About Building Communities

Pull-A-Part's Building Communities website is dedicated to raising awareness for the causes, projects, and people making a difference in our communities - including the work Pull-A-Part and its team members support throughout the year. We're not just a place for parts in the community, we're a part of the communities we serve. If you'd like more information on how Pull-A-Part is working to make a difference and build stronger communities around the country, please contact our Building Communities team for more information.