MLK Day: Where to Volunteer in Phoenix

I was looking to see what kind of service projects were planned in my community for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and I found a bunch at handsonphoenix.org! I’ll share a few you might be interested in below.

You can sign up on the site to volunteer if you’re over 18. Check the individual project for age restrictions and waivers required for younger teens and kids.

If you live outside of the Phoenix area, you can search nationalservice.gov for opportunities in other states.

Sort and Pack at St. Mary’s Food Bank

Jan 13, 8-10am
St. Mary’s Food Bank, Phoenix
Sort, pack, and distribute food for other nonprofits and families in crisis at St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance.

Feel free to bring donations of cereal, canned goods, bottled water, and/or pet food with you to the project.
Due to health codes and safety reasons, a volunteer dress code is in effect. (Closed Toe Shoes, shirts with sleeves, pants, etc.)

Garden Volunteers at the Japanese Friendship Garden

Jan 13, 8-11am
Japanese Friendship Garden, Phoenix
Help with either non-technical duties (like cleaning up trash) or technical garden maintenance (like precise pruning of plants).

Puppy Pals at Animal Care West Valley Shelter

Jan 13, 9-11am
Maricopa County Animal Care Services, West Valley Shelter, Phoenix
Spend time with adoptable pets. Walk dogs or brush and pet cats.

Project Vitamin C with City of Glendale

Jan 13, 9am-12pm
Sahuaro Ranch Park, Glendale
Help pick citrus from the park’s trees to donate to local food banks.

MLK 2018: Trailblazing at South Mountain Park

Jan 14, 10:30am-12:30pm
South Mountain Park, Phoenix
Assist with projects, such as tree trimming, maintenance, graffiti removal, trash pick-up, and painting. Details will be emailed to volunteers after sign up. Ages 18+.

Vets in Need Outdoor Refresh

Jan 15, 8am-12pm
Avondale
Join volunteers in painting the exterior of the home of a Veteran in need. Training, project supplies, light snacks and water will be provided.

MLK Jr. Celebration Parade

Jan 15, 8:30am-12:30pm
Mesa Convention Center (outside) / Downtown Mesa
Help with parade contestant check-in and parade route guidance.

April 3, 2017May 23, 2023

Banh Mi

When we moved, we found ourselves near a place with great banh mi, which are Vietnamese sandwiches on French bread with these marinated vegetables and thinly sliced meats. It’s a beautiful blending of cultures.

My brother Ian says the many banh mi places in Seattle all seem to charge exactly $3.98 for a sandwich. As with many things, they’re even cheaper here in Phoenix. It’s a lotta deliciousness for your buck.

Have you tried banh mi? Do you have a favorite spot near you?

January 30, 2017May 23, 2023

Garden Library Booth

I was back at the Mesa Urban Garden and took a photo for you guys of the little library/phone booth.

Maybe you wouldn’t call it a phone booth. It’s the later version of a phone booth, the not-fully-enclosed kind I grew up seeing. And it seems like the books have been replaced with gardening resources, which is also good. But it’d be neat if books could be back in there too.

January 23, 2017May 23, 2023

Citrus Season in the Southwest

It’s citrus season here in Phoenix! Farmers’ markets and roadside stands are overflowing with oranges, grapefruit, and lemons (so is my Instagram feed).

You can order online from The Orange Patch, which will ship across the U.S.
You can pick your own at Agritopia Farm.
Or go to the Farm at South Mountain for fresh squeezed juice.

When we were in Tucson just before Christmas, there were baskets of beautifully bright oranges, tangerines, and kumquats at the Thursday Farmers’ Market at Mercado San Agustin.

California Citrus Historic State Park in Riverside, which we’ve enjoyed visiting when we’re in Southern California, currently has extended hours for the season and special events like a harvest tasting on February 26.

The Pasadena Farmers’ Market lists lemons, navel oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and tangelos as being in season right now. (When I was there this summer, it was piles of peaches and pecks of peppers.)

On the theme of citrus…

Recipes for different types of citrus.
Citrus fruit pattern by Anika Starmer, as part of her daily pattern project.

What’s in season where you are?

September 6, 2016May 23, 2023

Downtown Mesa Community Garden

There’s a community garden in Downtown Mesa that I’d heard about but hadn’t been to until my sister-in-law Liz was in town.

Mesa community garden

Isn’t it funny how you tend to see more of your city when someone is visiting?

Mural in urban garden, Mesa

Anyway, after lunch at Republica Empanada (at Hibbert and 1st Ave.), she asked about the gate next to the restaurant that leads into the Mesa Urban Garden, and we went to check it out.

I wasn’t expecting to see much, because August in Phoenix is rough on plants and only the most hardy survive. But there were still a fair number of things growing – veggies and vinca and this gorgeous trumpet vine with orange flowers and long green pods.

Community garden, Mesa

The garden is surrounded by walls with colorful murals, and there’s a Little Free Library made from an old phone booth.

I’ll definitely have to return later this fall!

Mesa garden

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