Volunteering During MLK Day? Get Rewarded

Sure, many volunteers get pats on the back aplenty, and they have the satisfaction of knowing they helped their communities.

But Tammy Allen and the organization she leads, Do Good Get Rewards, thinks they should get a little bit more. No not money, of course—then it wouldn’t be volunteering; but just a little something (and in some cases, a big something) to let volunteers know they’re appreciated.

“We’re kind of on a mission to show how much good is going on out there,” Allen said.

Non-profit organizations anywhere in the metro Atlanta area can register with Do Good Get Rewards, joining the 106 that have already done so.

Registered organizations then turn in their volunteer hours for individuals, and those volunteers receive points—one hour equals 1,000 points. Those points lead to free yoga classes, tickets, pet services and even a chance at a cruise.

According to the Do Good Get Rewards website, those who volunteer on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday will earn 10,000 reward points.

“They spend those points just like you’d spend cash,” Allen said.

While some rewards do have fees or stipulations tacked on, most are 100 percent complimentary, she said.

“We try to make sure it’s free, not a buy-one-get-one,” Allen explained.

An excellent springboard for volunteers who are yet to participate in Do Good Get Rewards but want to start, Allen said, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. changed society with his desire to make the world a better place,” says a release from the organization. “Do Good Get Rewards honors (the) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. legacy by rewarding the community patrons who continue his work of making the world better and helping others.”

Those who volunteer during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, an extended name of the holiday created to honor the civil rights leader, can log their hours through the organization’s website. 

But any non-profit organization can log its volunteer hours year-round for any type of event, Allen said.

“When people volunteer, you just want to get them something,” she said. “It just warms your heart and makes you want to say, ‘What can I do for you?’”

Know of any volunteer opportunities in Buckhead? Leave them in our volunteer section or in the comments below.