Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger paints a wall at a school in Van Nuys
as a part of the MLK Day of Service. (Ruth Frantz)

Students and volunteers took their day off and turned it into a "day on" celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day with L.A. Works--and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The governor made an appearance at the event along with his wife, First Lady Maria Shriver. Both the governor and Shriver spoke to the half full auditorium about service and helping their community.

"It is important that we help others, whether old or young or disabled, that's why we help out and give back," Gov. Schwarzenegger said to the students. "Thank you all for being here today and helping out."

The governor not only helped other volunteers paint, but took his turn with the brush as well, prompting onlookers to joke: "Looks like you've had some experience with this Governor."

The 5th Annual L.A. Works MLK Day project was aimed at revitalizing Van Nuys Middle School, with volunteers painting murals in the hallways, as well as outdoor activities that were rescheduled due to the weather.

L.A. Works teamed up this year with Public Allies to bring many people out to volunteer. Last year, L.A. Works helped make the 2009 King Day of Service the largest in history, with over one million volunteers working on over 13,000 projects in all 50 states.

"I found out about Public Allies through UCLA's career conference and I love working with L.A. Works," said Cyndi Bendezu, a Public Allies volunteer. "They get so many kids and students to help out."

Bendezu also appreciated that the governor took time out of his day to stop by. "They have events every MLK Day, and it's nice that he took the time to come by," she said.

Pushed indoors by the rain, the team of over 100 volunteers committed themselves to painting murals in hallways in the school as well as the gym.

Gov. Schwarzenegger's visit to Van Nuys Middle School came shortly after his promise in his State of the State address to "protect" education. In a state that currently spends 11 percent of its money on prisons and only 7.5 percent on education, Schwarzenegger proposed a constitutional amendment to reverse that ratio.

The governor briefly mentioned the budget situation at the MLK Day project, stressing that in a time like this, service and volunteering is especially important.

"With the budget as it is, we are in a crisis and volunteerism can always help. Service is always important, especially now," the governor said.

Even though his budget is due this Friday, the outline of how he plans to "protect" education while still dealing with a massive deficit remains unclear.