14th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Clean Up, Peace March, and Celebration
Monday, January 19th, 2026
at
MSK Community Center
1009 Sycamore Street, Wilmington, DE 19805
Schedule of Events
Community Cleanup
10:30am to 12pm
Peace March
12pm to 1pm
Celebration
1pm to 3pm
Attendee Registration:
Volunteer with your neighbors to clean up our community and help local grassroots organizations get work done! Register here if you want to attend the clean up, peace march, or celebration at MSK Community Center!
Community Service Project Host Applications:
You bring the work, we bring the volunteers! Examples include but are not limited to: packing hygiene kits, contacting elected officials for your issue campaign, letter writing/card making for your clients, organize clothing donations, weaving warm weather accessories/sleeping pads for unhoused people, etc.
Community Resource Table Vendor Applications:
Bring your resources directly to hundreds of community members at once! Examples include but are not limited to: food giveaways, housing resources, free store, voter registration, on-site health screenings, home safety or weatherization kit giveaways, hygiene product giveaways, etc.
Small Business Marketplace Vendor Applications:
Share your products with hundreds of values-aligned customers in a single day! Local small businesses are given priority.
“Beloved Community: Love is Our Resistance"
Join us in living Dr. King’s vision through service, community aid, and collective action that strengthens our neighborhood.
Dr. King called us to a radical love—one that shows up, cares for our neighbors, and takes action to advance justice even in the face of injustice. For those who have been organizing, serving, and carrying this work for years, MLK Day is a moment to continue building together, refresh their batteries, and call others to their work. For those who are new or unsure where to begin, it is an invitation to start with one meaningful step: show up and roll up your sleeves. On Monday, January 19th, 2026, we invite you to honor Dr. King’s legacy not just in words, but through community care and service, knowing that every act, small or sustained, helps move us closer to the world he imagined.
West Side Grows Together and I Am My Sister's Keeper/MSK Community Center, along with Be Ready CDC, Delaware Nature Society, Girls Like Us Empowerment Group, Humbly Assisting Humanity, The Jefferson Street Center, National Health Corps Delaware, Network Connect, Public Allies Delaware, West End Neighborhood House, Wilmington Peacekeepers, and our incredible neighbors are coming together once again to strengthen our community with intention and action.
How You Can Take Action at Our Event:
✅ Join our community clean up
✅ Participate in a “done-in-a-day” service project led by local organizations
✅ Engage with local advocates and grassroots organizations to find opportunities for year-round advocacy
✅ Enjoy free food and fellowship with neighbors
✅ Connect with resources and get help you may need
✅ Take part in family-friendly activities
✅ Support local entrepreneurs at our small business marketplace
When we show up for each other—whether through picking up trash, building relationships, or advocating for change—we carry forward Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community, where love and care for each other is our resistance against injustice.
Let’s serve together. Let’s grow together. Let’s continue the movement. Will you join us?
Want to get involved, sponsor the event, or have questions? Contact West Side Grows Together at (302) 888-5346 or mlkday@westsidegrows.org.
Help Local Families this MLK Day
Join us in living Dr. King’s call to serve by helping neighbors meet their most basic needs. When you come to the MLK Day Celebration, please consider bringing new hygiene items to donate to the Nemours Children’s Health Hygiene Hub at the MSK Community Center. Your generosity will directly support children and families right here on the West Side. The most needed items include:
Toothpaste
Tooth Brushes
Mouthwash
Dental Floss
Bar Soap
Body Wash (Women & Men)
Body Lotion
Deodorant (Women & Men)
Shampoo & Conditioner
Menstrual Products (Pads, Liners, Tampons)
Diapers of all sizes
Baby Wipes
Shaving Cream
Disposable Razors
Wash Cloths
Combs and Hair Brushes
Facial Tissues
Our History
This MLK Day of Service and Celebration began as a call to action from the Wilmington Peacekeepers, an intergenerational, faith-rooted, and community-led organization committed to nonviolence, healing, and the well-being of Wilmington’s people. For years, the Peacekeepers have shown up in tangible ways: addressing gun violence, supporting youth development, feeding neighbors in need, and creating spaces for education, accountability, and care. Their work on the streets, in schools, and alongside families laid the foundation for what would become a citywide day of service grounded in love, justice, and responsibility to one another. Visit the Wilmington Peacekeepers homepage here.
Now in its 14th year, the event is coordinated by West Side Grows Together in partnership the Peacekeepers and a planning committee made up entirely of Wilmington-based organizations. While the event has grown, it remains rooted in the Peacekeepers’ original vision: that honoring Dr. King’s legacy requires action, relationship-building, and a shared commitment to creating safer, more connected communities. Each year, this gathering continues to reflect the values it was built on: showing up for one another, meeting real needs, and believing in the possibility of change when community leads the way.
Pictured: The Wilmington Peacekeepers gather attendees for the 2013 Peace March in Wilmington, Delaware
2026 Planning Committee Members
Watch Our 10 Year Anniversary Playlist
