Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service 2021 Compassion Through the Gift of Food |
Your Organization
Gift of Food Care Packages for Frontline Healthcare Workers Project
To honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. the Michigan Community Service Commission is offering MLK Day service grants to support volunteer projects and community needs during the pandemic.
Organizations can select to create a care package for frontline workers conducting testing and caring for COVID-19 patients. The pandemic continues to cause stress in all our lives and to those who serve in essential positions. Staff at facilities continue to manage the stress of supporting the testing for and care of COVID-19 patients. The act of giving sustenance and food communicates caring and support demonstrates Michigan’s value of compassion. This project demonstrates how volunteers can give support by making or donating a meal for our dedicated healthcare workers.
Steps to take in designing your project:
Identify Organizations
Decide which site(s) your project will support. These may include physician offices, urgent care centers, hospitals, and other clinics. Contact the facility to ask if your group could provide a meal for their staff or a department responding to the pandemic. Be sure to ask about any restrictions such as if the food must be commercially prepared, if home baked goods are allowed and any allergy restrictions. Ask how many will be served and the process to deliver the items.
Develop Care Package
Determine what will be in the care package. Items can include home-made meals and baked goods, food prepared by restaurants and bakeries, children designed thank you card, artwork, handmade ornaments, and other items that say thank you. Consider partnering with local artists to create an appreciation keepsake items or partner with the local school district and have children create fun pictures or cards. Determine how to gather the items safely and place them in care packages to be delivered.
Create the Distribution Plan
Develop a plan to deliver the care packages safely. Safety guidelines need to be followed to ensure all involved in the project are safe. Those who are delivering the packages must be wearing a mask and follow all Center for Disease Control and State of Michigan safety guidelines.
Design Project Budget
Develop a list of all supplies needed and the costs. Awarded funds are reimbursed upon satisfactorily reporting of expenses. Organizations awarded funds will need to register as a vendor of the state to receive payment. The link to register as a vendor will be sent with the award letter. Funds must be used to support elements of implementing a service project.
Grant Award and Implementation
Completed grant applications for round 1 should be received by December 18, 2020. The MCSC will offer a more competitive second round of grants which should be submitted by January 8, 2021. Projects should be held between January 8, 2021 and January 24, 2021. Grant awards will be in the range of $100 to $1,000 with no matching requirements. However, partnering with local businesses and other sponsorships for your MLK project is recommended. Reviewers will evaluate applications based on community need and design, use of partnerships, number of volunteers engaged, equitable geographic representation and adherence to COVID-19 safety guidelines. Funds requested should be commensurate with the number of volunteers engaged. Additional consideration will be made for projects with youth involvement (up to age 25). Applicants can request funding for more than one or more of the three MLK grant award projects.
To honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. the Michigan Community Service Commission is offering MLK Day service grants to support volunteer projects and community needs during the pandemic.
Organizations can select to create a care package for frontline workers conducting testing and caring for COVID-19 patients. The pandemic continues to cause stress in all our lives and to those who serve in essential positions. Staff at facilities continue to manage the stress of supporting the testing for and care of COVID-19 patients. The act of giving sustenance and food communicates caring and support demonstrates Michigan’s value of compassion. This project demonstrates how volunteers can give support by making or donating a meal for our dedicated healthcare workers.
Steps to take in designing your project:
Identify Organizations
Decide which site(s) your project will support. These may include physician offices, urgent care centers, hospitals, and other clinics. Contact the facility to ask if your group could provide a meal for their staff or a department responding to the pandemic. Be sure to ask about any restrictions such as if the food must be commercially prepared, if home baked goods are allowed and any allergy restrictions. Ask how many will be served and the process to deliver the items.
Develop Care Package
Determine what will be in the care package. Items can include home-made meals and baked goods, food prepared by restaurants and bakeries, children designed thank you card, artwork, handmade ornaments, and other items that say thank you. Consider partnering with local artists to create an appreciation keepsake items or partner with the local school district and have children create fun pictures or cards. Determine how to gather the items safely and place them in care packages to be delivered.
Create the Distribution Plan
Develop a plan to deliver the care packages safely. Safety guidelines need to be followed to ensure all involved in the project are safe. Those who are delivering the packages must be wearing a mask and follow all Center for Disease Control and State of Michigan safety guidelines.
Design Project Budget
Develop a list of all supplies needed and the costs. Awarded funds are reimbursed upon satisfactorily reporting of expenses. Organizations awarded funds will need to register as a vendor of the state to receive payment. The link to register as a vendor will be sent with the award letter. Funds must be used to support elements of implementing a service project.
Grant Award and Implementation
Completed grant applications for round 1 should be received by December 18, 2020. The MCSC will offer a more competitive second round of grants which should be submitted by January 8, 2021. Projects should be held between January 8, 2021 and January 24, 2021. Grant awards will be in the range of $100 to $1,000 with no matching requirements. However, partnering with local businesses and other sponsorships for your MLK project is recommended. Reviewers will evaluate applications based on community need and design, use of partnerships, number of volunteers engaged, equitable geographic representation and adherence to COVID-19 safety guidelines. Funds requested should be commensurate with the number of volunteers engaged. Additional consideration will be made for projects with youth involvement (up to age 25). Applicants can request funding for more than one or more of the three MLK grant award projects.