Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services Announces 2024 Family Reunion Weekend  

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?” 

 ~Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Springfield, MA – MLK Jr. Family Services (MLKFS) will host its inaugural 2024 Family Reunion Weekend celebration September 7-8, 2024, at its signature Community Center. Dr. Frank D. Robinson, 2024 MLKFS Family Reunion Committee Chair, shares the vision of this weekend event, “The Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services 2024 Family Reunion celebrates the historic deep commitments and investments in the lives and futures of Springfield residents. We also celebrate its new President & CEO, Shannon, and her bold vision for the future of MLKFS. In the spirit of family, she invites us all to join hands in continuing the legacy of service, unity, and empowerment that has defined this organization. Together, we can build on the foundation laid by those who came before us, ensuring a brighter and more equitable future for generations to come.”

Here is what you can expect:

Family-Fun Day! to be held on Saturday, September 7, 2024, from 11am – 5pm. Attendees will enjoy food from local vendors; invited to take Community Center tours; participate in Spades/Scrabble/Dominoes/Chess Tournaments: and enjoy karaoke, family relay games, face painting and an opportunity to share/archive their MLKFS legacy story. 

Fellowship & Worship to be held on Sunday, September 8, 2024, at 4pm. There is no MLKFS without the vision of Project Mustard Seed and attendees will gather in that spirit and tradition with a special worship service under the leadership The Reverend Dr. Terrlyn L. Curry Avery, Pastor of the MLK Jr. Community Presbyterian Church as we welcome Project Mustard Seed Visionary Leader The Reverend Dr. Ronald E. Peters.This celebration will also feature a MLK Community Choir under the direction of Elder Terrence Haynes, accompanied by Terrence Schider.  MLKFS CEO, Shannon M. Rudder shares, “Our fellowship is powerful.  Together, we will gather to honor our ancestorial legacy leaders, the many who make up the fabric of MLKFS in our region and the dreamers who are investing in the vision forward.”

Volunteer event committee members have made this event come to life and are acknowledged here: Rachelle Lee, Elder, MLK, Jr. Community Presbyterian Church; Dr. Frank Robinson, Principal, FDR Consultants; Dr. Karen Rucks-Walker, Asst. VP Advancement, STCC, Executive Director, STCC Foundation; Tim Sneed, Executive Director, Baystate Academy Charter Public School; and Jeff Sullivan, President & CEO, New Valley Bank & Trust, Board Chair Emeritus.

Sponsors who are making this event possible include our Platinum Sponsors: Baystate Health, Monson Savings Bank and PeoplesBank; our Bronze Sponsors Center for Human Development and New Valley Bank & Trust; and our Media Partners: BusinessWest/Healthcare News, STCC/WTCC, and Garvey Communications Associates. With the generous support of our sponsors, we will be able to offer the event at no charge.

For event details and to pre-register please follow 2024 Family Reunion – MLKFS (mlkjrfamilyservices.org) and for inquiries, please reach out to Claudia Pazmany at cpazmany@mlkjrfs.org. 

About:Since 1977, the mission of Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services, Inc. has been to nurture and develop the skills, opportunities, and spirit of families in Greater Springfield and the surrounding communities.MLKFS fully embraces the vision of the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. of the Beloved Community. As a multicultural and multiservice agency dedicated to being “Keepers of the Dream”, MLKFS nurtures and empowers the aspirations of individuals, families and youth to achieve new realities of peace, social and economic justice, self-determination, self-actualization, and self-sufficiency. MLKFS serves as a beacon for the community, offering Out of School Time programming, literacy promotion, college readiness, HBCU Experience, youth mental health, family supports, public health and teen leadership, community engagement initiatives, and cultural experiences through art, dance, and sports. The organization also operates the fourth largest food pantry in Western Massachusetts.