Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Day: Restoring Hope & Dignity

Join MCC, in collaboration with Kingdom Builders Network (KBN), on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for a day of celebration and service as we remember those in prison who are often forgotten and discarded from communities. 

This is a hybrid event. Registration is required for both in-person and virtual attendees. For virtual attendance, visit this Zoom link to register for the livestream. 

At the event you will... 

• Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of peace and justice through music and spoken word. 
• Learn about health justice in prison through a panel discussion and Q&A. 
• Serve by assembling prison care kits for those currently incarcerated to meet their needs and restore hope and dignity in a place that often seems hopeless. 

Meet our artists and speakers! 

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Chaplain Carmelo Urena 

Carmelo serves as the director of chaplaincy for the Philadelphia Department of Prisons. In his current role, he is focused on supporting his staff and ministering to the spiritual needs of over 7,000 prisoners. Carmelo oversees religious, restorative and transitional services for thousands of men and women housed in Philadelphia's four correctional facilities. Although he towers over most of the people he interacts with, Carmelo exudes the calm demeanor of a gentle giant. 

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Rasheeda Bagwell 

Rasheeda is a re-entry and restorative justice coordinator. She is also an activist, advocate, public speaker and published author. Rasheeda has always had a passion for assisting the undeserved, and her goal is to assist as many individuals as possible on their journey as returning citizens. Rasheeda believes if you change your way of thinking you can change your circumstances and your goals can be attained. 

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Rev. Dr. Christobal M. Kimmenez 

Rev. Dr. Chris Kimmenez is a dynamic, sought-after ordained Baptist minister, pastor, chaplain, psychologist, consultant and a medically retired marine combat veteran from Washington, D.C. residing in Philadelphia, PA. After a car accident, struggling with addiction, physical disability, PTSD and incarceration, he entered recovery in 1995 and ministry in 1996. He founded the Pastor's and Preacher's Support Network serving 506 pastors. He currently serves as founder and president of Recovery Christian Centers Urban Community Development Corporation, a faith-based non-profit specializing in recovery support, pastoral care, counseling, trauma healing, capacity building and leadership training. 

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Millynn 

American born daughter to a Liberian man and a Philadelphian woman, Millynn had an upbringing that awarded her a unique perspective of herself and the world around her. Empathic in nature, she easily connects and finds the dignity within others, but somehow along the way she misplaced the love and dignity within herself. Always a lover of life and music, she began a new quest to find this missing love. Her songs call attention to our inner parts, where we are most vulnerable and often hide. Her music poses questions that she believes we already have answer too, we've all simply just forgotten. She calls us to remember as Christ calls her into integrity with this truth, one step, one song at a time. 

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Dr. Michael Couch 

Rev. Dr. Micahel W. Couch is a Philadelphia-native (by way of Mississippi and Alabama). He is a husband and father and a proud son of the Berachah Baptist Church. He completed his doctorate at New York Theological Seminary and is currently serving as a workforce advisor at Pennsylvania Career Link, where he helps families and neighborhoods by providing job opportunities. He is also the honorable duty elected executive committee person of Philadelphia's 23 Ward. 

Tribute:

Check out our MLK 2021 Virtual Celebration as a tribute to the late Sgt. Chris Fitzgerald, nephew of Kingdom Builders Network (KBN) member Bishop Juan Marrero. Fitzgerald was a panelist for our 2021 MLK Celebration. 

Bring prison care kits to the event or an MCC kit drop-off location!

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Our goal for this event is to pack 500 prison care kits. We invite you and your community to bring completed prison care kits or kit items to the event. You can also drop off completed kits at an MCC kit drop-off location. 

If you are unable to collect kit items, we welcome cash donations after the event and throughout the year so that MCC can purchase supplies for prison care kits. To donate cash, check the bottom of the page. 

To learn more about the impact of prison care kits and the full list of men's and women's kit contents, please visit mcc.org/prison-care-kits. 

Completed kits can be dropped off at:

MCC East Coast regional office
900 E. Howell Street, Philadelphia, PA 19149
(215) 535-3624
EastCoast@mcc.org

MCC East Coast Material Resources Center
517 West Trout Run Road, Ephrata, PA 17522
(717) 733-2847
EastCoastMRC@mcc.org

MCC Material Resource Center of Harleysville
737 Hagey Center Drive, Souderton, PA 18964
(267) 203-8074
mrc@mcc-harleysville.org

Cash donations for prison care kits can be made below! Just indicate "East Coast prison care kit" in the Other notes or instructions box when completing your donation. We welcome prison care kit donations throughout the year.

For more information on prison care kits, or if you are interested in ordering prison care kit supplies in bulk, email EastCoastMRC@mcc.org or call (717) 733-2847.