In the midst of winter – especially this year, as most of the country has been experiencing frigid temperatures, ice, snow and all the usual trappings of January – there’s a day we can all spend making the world a little warmer.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, celebrated each year on the third Monday in January, has grown from its original purpose to honor the work of King into a day often dedicated to service and humanitarian work. It’s a gentle reminder that we, too, can continue the peaceful move toward change that King initiated in his own lifetime.

For Project Giving Kids on the West Coast, the weekend was spent in service work at the Kidspace Museum in Pasadena, Calif. Together, we accomplished three easy, hands-on service projects for young kids on Saturday, Sunday and Monday: cat toys for local animal shelters, Valentine’s cards for St. Vincent Meals on Wheels, and decorated bookmarks to benefit Reading Partners around LA. In all, through the efforts of generous volunteers of all ages, we crafted 120 cat toys, 143 valentines and 194 bookmarks for our chosen charities.

In King’s words, “We have come a long way, but we have a long, long way to go.” Not just this weekend, but every day, PGK is making an impact across the country. To see how you can become involved, whether it’s with your family, your school or through your own nonprofit group, use our ​Activities tool​ or download our ​free YouthGive app​.