The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana (EDOLA) is hosting its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Monday, January 20, 2025, from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM at Historic St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in New Orleans. This event honors the legacies of two important figures in social justice: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Blessed Frances Joseph Gaudet. The Day of Service invites individuals and families to come together for hands-on community service that will benefit the people and neighborhoods of New Orleans.

The service event, open to all and with no registration required, will take place at Historic St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 1222 N. Dorgenois St., New Orleans, LA 70119. Volunteers are encouraged to "come as you are," ready to participate in a variety of service activities designed to uplift the community.

Service Activities Include:

Neighborhood litter cleanup – EDOLA youth groups
Creating new community gardens – Environmental Evangelism Commission
Assembling hygiene bags – St. George’s Episcopal Church, NOLA
Sorting & storing canned goods – Historic St. Luke’s Little Food Pantry
Sorting children's books – Historic St. Luke’s summer camps
Gaudet/MLK Tours – Historic St. Luke’s, NOLA
Weaving plastic mats for the unhoused – Ministry of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, NOLA
Collections:

Plastic shopping bags
Canned goods (Can be dropped off at Historic St. Luke’s the day of the event, starting at 9 AM)
Blessed Frances Joseph Gaudet (1861–1934) is honored as a saint in The Episcopal Church. Gaudet devoted her life to education, social work, and prison reform; her legacy continues through the Gaudet Umbrella Ministries, six initiatives focused on intersectional issues of identity, inequity, and social impact. Historic St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is home to the national Blessed Frances Joseph Gaudet Shrine.

The MLK Day of Service also commemorates the ongoing commitment to justice and equality inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s teachings of love, peace, and service to others.