Volunteers from the various organizations and neighboring community will participate in various service projects at Goulds Park, including painting the interior and exterior of the park office and community center; landscaping projects; building and installing planter boxes; pressure cleaning the tennis courts; painting roadway bumpers, fencing and the entrance gate with reflective paint for safety; refurbishing the playground with new sand; and various other projects that will help beautify this popular, 30-acre community park.

Volunteers will also build and plant a new community garden that will grow vegetables and herbs, and will be maintained by children from Miami-Dade Parks' out-of-school and teen programs, as well as by neighboring residents. Goulds Park is in a food desert zone. Food deserts are areas that lack supermarkets and access to buy affordable, fresh foods.

The event will also host a food drive benefitting local food pantries.

Every year, Miami-Dade Parks in partnership with many of the host organizations, holds the annual volunteer project in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. attracting more than 400 volunteers of all ages who support their Miami-Dade County community by enhancing its surrounding parks. The sponsoring organizations furnish all of the supplies needed to accomplish these projects.

Individuals or businesses interested in participating as a volunteer or sponsor for the MLK Day of Service, or for future volunteer projects at parks across the county, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Angie Gomez at 305-961-2781.

About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 34.5 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's 40 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

About Service For Peace, Miami Office Service For Peace
Miami Office is a nonprofit organization that engages Miami's diverse population in service-learning opportunities by connecting people to peace through service and creating Communities of Peace throughout our Greater Miami community.

About the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade
The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization supporting the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department's efforts to further develop Miami-Dade County's world-class parks system for residents and visitors.  Its mission is to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable Miami community by ensuring the implementation of the Parks Open Space Master Plan and the development of year-round park and recreation programs for local children, adults and people with disabilities.

Monies raised through membership and fundraising efforts help fund: scholarships for disadvantaged children to attend after-school and summer camp programs; recreational and community programs, such as disability services and health and wellness initiatives for people of all ages; and Parks Open Space Master Plan initiatives, such as the development of trailways, bikeways and safe access to parks and open spaces throughout Miami. For more information on the Parks Foundation, please visit Parks of Foundation of Miami.