"I want to lose ten pounds." 

"I'm going to go to the gym at least three times a week." 

"I'm going to stay in better touch with my family and friends."

We all do it. We all think about what we did in the previous year and make statements about what we will do differently in the upcoming year. But how successful are we?

In my experience, just talking about something doesn't change much in the way of habits. In past years, I've boldly stated my "lose ten pounds" resolution while chowing down on a sleeve of Chips Ahoy cookies. The key to change is action!

For those of you who want to become more involved in your community this year, or want to devote more of your time and talents on other people, here's your chance! The 10th Annual Athens MLK Jr. Day of Service is happening on January 16th. Join us in building the peaceful community that Dr. Martin Luther King believed in. We have 36 different service projects planned for you to choose from. And the best news is that you can peruse the descriptions of all the projects online and choose one NOW that best fits your friends' and family members' needs and interests. 

But that's not all. Yes, we will work hard that day, but we will also play hard! The Heap is going to start us off with a kick-off breakfast at 8:30am at the 40Watt in downtown Athens. We'll be serving Jittery Joe's coffee, Trader Joe's cereal bars and fruit and some yummy cakes from Benson's Bakery. Mayor Nancy Denson will address the crowd before we all head out to work at our volunteer projects from 10am - 1pm. If you're really ambitious, you can also run in the Dream to be Able ML5K at 3pm, benefitting Extra Special People. Or if you're just not a morning person, you can choose to volunteer at the race instead of one of the morning projects. 

Visit http://handsonnega.org/athensmlk for even more details about the day and to register for a volunteer project. Put your resolution into action and sign up today!

If you have any questions, please email info@handsonnortheastgeorgia.org or call 706-353-1313.