Today, Marx Layne, along with the rest of the nation, celebrates the work and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But it isn’t just today that we celebrate the esteemed civil rights leader. Marx Layne works to emulate the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. not only on this national holiday, but each day throughout the year.

Since Marx Layne was founded 29 years ago, giving back to the community has been an important part of our DNA. Inspired by Dr. King, we continue to work tirelessly to exemplify his message through community service.

At the heart of Marx Layne is a nonprofit. We had some underutilized space in our office and thought it would be fun to fill this space with a pool table or Ping-Pong table. After consideration, we felt it would be meaningful to donate the space to a nonprofit. We are proud to host Heart 2 Hart in the center, the heart of our agency. Each morning, the employees and volunteers of Heart 2 Hart meet in the space to prepare food and other essential supplies that they then deliver to homeless people in Detroit. It is one of the few agencies in town that actually delivers food to the homeless, many living under expressway bridges and other obscure locations. The committed team members of Heart 2 Hart truly get to know the people they serve by name and their needs, and have been successful in referring them to other social service agencies for assistance beyond food.

Our agency is fortunate to represent numerous nonprofit agencies that work tirelessly to improve the quality of life for those in need. We’re honored to have clients such as the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, which funds and nurtures charitable programs that make a positive impact in the community; Grace Centers of Hope, a faith-based outreach program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals and families; Neighborhood Service Organization, a human services agency that helps the community’s most vulnerable neighbors. Our clients like the Holocaust Memorial Center, the Arab American And Chaldean Chamber and many more – make our Marx Layne team members aware of the great need in our community and the dedicated individuals whose sole focus is to, in essence, carry out the teachings of Dr. King.

As we celebrate Martin Luther King Day, we also encourage our employees to serve the communities where they live. Though our office remains open today, those who choose to take the day off to perform community service are encouraged to do so. Employees may take advantage of this community service option on other days throughout the year as well.

At Marx Layne, we will continue to build upon our agency foundation of philanthropy and corporate citizenship as exemplified through our clients, donations and community service.

“There is nothing new about poverty. What is new, however is that we now have the resources to get rid of it. The time has come for an all-out war against poverty. The well off and the secure have too often become indifferent and oblivious to the poverty and deprivation in their midst. Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation. No individual or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for the least of these.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.