Since then, volunteer groups have turned the day into "A day on -- not a day off" by visiting pet shelters, working in food pantries and cleaning up neighborhoods across the country.
Here in SoCal, several service projects are set to be held in Los Angeles County, including George Washington Carver Middle School in South L.A. and 16 sites in Long Beach.
In Orange County, UC Irvine students will be volunteering at the O.C. Food Bank.
You can find a volunteer event near you by plugging in your zip code here: www.nationalservice.gov