SUNDERLAND — With Martin Luther King Jr. Day designated as the only federal holiday dedicated to volunteer service, the public is invited to join the Sunderland Human Rights Task Force’s weekly standout.

Each Monday, Human Rights Task Force members stand at the intersection of Routes 116 and 47 in the center of town holding signs that affirm their support for social justice. With the holiday, though, members are expanding the scope of the standout and are hoping to draw in more people.

The standout begins at 8:30 a.m. on Monday and will continue through 9:30. At 9:15, people are invited to gather outside the First Congregational Church of Sunderland to hear remarks from the Rev. Randy Calvo, along with a reading of King’s words on his belief in nonviolence.

“We’ve been doing our Black Lives Matter standouts for three or four years now. … We decided to expand it a little this year to honor MLK and the work he’s done,” said Human Rights Task Force member Kim Audette. “We’re hoping to build on something we’re already doing and encourage more community members to get involved.”

While the standout is a weekly occurrence, Audette said they have been working with the church more to draw in more people and Calvo has been a big help.

Folks are encouraged to make their own signs, but extras will be available.

“It’s a small ceremony. People can bring signs and standout with us,” she said. “We’d love to see you.”

The Sunderland Human Rights Task Force and its sister group, the Deerfield Inclusion Group, organize a variety of events throughout the year to raise awareness about social justice issues. Other programs it has done in the past include a September discussion at the Sunderland Public Library about slavery’s impact in the Connecticut River Valley and its annual standout on May 25 to mark the murder of George Floyd.

“It’s a small group of local residents from Sunderland and Deerfield who meet once a month to educate, advocate and support equality and diversity,” Audette said.

Anyone living in Sunderland or its neighboring towns can join by emailing SunderlandHRTaskForce@gmail.com.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.