Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In the spirit of Dr. King, we're sharing two organizations you can get involved with to give back to the people + animals of Columbus throughout the year.

The Columbus Dream Center, 38 W. Greenwood Ave.

The Columbus Dream Center serves families and homeless individuals in over 12 Columbus neighborhoods. In neighborhoods, they work with children through after school programs, activities, and small groups. To serve people experiencing homelessness, the physical location offers showers, laundry, free meals, and helps individuals with their next step.

Volunteers together outside of the Columbus Dream Center | Photo courtesy of Tayla Davis

Mission — “A heart for Columbus dedicated to bringing hope.”

How you can help the mission — Interested volunteers can sign up to help homelessness by serving meals, gardening to provide nutritious meals, or volunteering when individuals come in for showers + laundry to make a relationship with them. Volunteers who have a heart for children can also sign up directly for the after school programs, which include gym + creative activities among others. Additional ways to serve are also available.

Volunteers serving meals | Photo courtesy of the Columbus Dream Center

Pets Without Parents, 629 Oakland Park Ave.

Pets Without Parents is a non-profit shelter for dogs and cats working towards finding them a permanent home. In Columbus for over 20 years, the no-kill organization supports rescue animals.

Mission — “To place every pet that enters our shelter into a loving, permanent home; to motivate our local community to support our shelter, its no-kill mission, and spay-neuter efforts through donation, volunteer, and adoption opportunities.”

How you can help the mission — Aside from adopting, the shelter seeks foster parents to temporarily take in puppies, kittens + injured animals. In-person volunteering is currently paused due to COVID-19, but when it resumes, people can walk + play with the animals and assist with cleaning. While COVID-19 protocols are in place, you can volunteer from home by making toys and decorating cat boxes.