OAKLAND — On Jan. 20, local American Legion Auxiliary members will join hundreds of thousands of Americans in making the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday “a day on, not a day off,” by serving in his honor.

Dr. King used his influence as a civil rights leader to leave a great legacy of community service, and the members of the Auxiliary are proud to be a part of this special day. In past years volunteers built homes, delivered meals, refurbished schools and community centers, beautified parks and neighborhoods, and engaged in a number of other civic activities to improve lives and strengthen communities across the country.

Auxiliary members concentrate their efforts toward those who gave unselfishly to this country, our veterans. These veterans-centered service projects included job fairs, home improvements and bringing friends along to volunteer at VA hospitals.

Junior Auxiliary members (those age 18 and younger) serve by stuffing backpacks with toys, school supplies and a letter for children of deployed military members.

Founded in 1919, the American Legion Auxiliary is the world’s largest patriotic women’s service organization. With a membership of more than 800,000, local Auxiliary units have a strong presence in more than 9,500 communities nationwide. The Auxiliary’s mission to serve veterans, their families and their communities is carried out through its hundreds of outreach programs delivered by its members, volunteers and National Headquarters. For more information, visit www.ALAforVeterans.org and www.maineala.org.