The National Day of Service may have been over the weekend but people in Macon are continuing to give back to the community on Monday.

Instead of relaxing on their day off, volunteers came to the Joshua House Early Care Learning Center in Macon to rake the yard and clean up the inside of the early day care center

"I really feel like this is a great way for all us to give back on such an important day for all of us," volunteer Cory Zeller said.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a holiday about unity and for Zeller, carrying on Dr. King's work of helping others.

"I really feel like every single day should be about giving back to the community, especially the community where you work live and play," he said. "I think it's also a great way to show the country and your community that they really matter."


More than 40 volunteers including some University of Mercer students participated in the service day at the house. Employees at the non-profit organization said they wanted to give the community a chance to give back and fulfill the dream of the civil rights activist

"We're coming together to give back to each other you know, regarding race, religion, back ground anything, we're coming together for a common goal," Sheila Rivers Joshua House ECLC Director said.

About three miles down the road at The Daybreak Center, The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Macon chapter teamed up with other community organizations to serve a hot meal to those in need.

"Being an organization that says, hey look, we're here, we want to help you," AKA Macon Chapter President, Sekema Harris Harmon said. "This may not be the biggest help in the world but it's the help you need right there this minute.”

This is the fourth time the chapter has hosted a soup kitchen but the first time doing it at the center. Volunteers said donating time on their day off is rewarding because they're carrying on the message of Dr. King of making a difference in someone's life.

"It's just a way that we can say we're all here together and we want to help no matter how big or how small. We want to make sure we have an impact."

More than 150 people visited the Daybreak Center for a hot meal. Volunteers at both locations said that they wanted to give a day of service as a way to celebrate the holiday.