OAKLAND, Calif. — Once again this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, thousands of Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians nationwide will step out of lab coats and suits and into painting caps and tool belts, rolling up their sleeves in community service to honor Dr. King and his commitment to improving lives through dedicated service.
Established in 2005, this will mark the ninth year in which Kaiser Permanente will conduct its Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service. Thousands of Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians will have the opportunity to take leadership roles within their communities in remembering the values that Dr. King exemplified — values that closely align with Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to social responsibility and community involvement.
Last year, more than 7,000 employees and physicians — the most ever, and a 10 percent increase over the previous year — dedicated their time at more than 130 sites nationwide. This community work benefited an estimated 35,000 people.
“Kaiser Permanente employees’ enthusiasm for community service on this day is evident in the growth in the number of volunteers year after year,” said Ronald Copeland, MD, FACS, chief diversity officer of Kaiser Permanente. “These great activities happening across the country underscore Kaiser Permanente’s longstanding commitment to both diversity and community benefit, while also providing a unique opportunity for employees and physicians to serve some of the communities’ most vulnerable residents.”
This year, Dr. Copeland, along with Bernard J. Tyson, current president and chief operating officer and incoming chief executive officer, are distributing hundreds of coats to people in need at City Team Ministries in Oakland, Calif. the organization’s headquarters. City Team Ministries provides hot meals and safe shelter to Oakland's underserved populations. The organization also provides medical care to the needy, operates a recovery program, provides clothing for disadvantaged families, and offers recreational and spiritual programs for children.
In addition to the coat drive in Oakland, Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians will volunteer in the communities they serve across the country.
Projects include:
For more about Kaiser Permanente’s efforts in the community year-round, visit: kp.org/communitybenefit.