College students across the country are gearing up for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a day of National Service. What used to be just a day off to sleep in and catch up on homework has become an exciting day for young adults to actively engage in their community through volunteering.
Life’s most important and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King said, “Life’s most important and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” He would be proud to see today’s youth answering that question with action. From painting schools and creating gardens, to visiting with the elderly, working in food pantries or helping out at animal shelters, college students across the country are poised to make a difference this MLK Day of Service.
NobleHour is also proud of the amazing community work performed by its members over the past few years. Coast to coast, our network of universities are engaging their students in a variety of projects to make a difference in the lives of those in need. On MLK Day in 2015, PittServes at the University of Pittsburgh brought together almost 800 students, staff, faculty, and alumni to volunteer for service projects with 34 community partners.
The George Washington University has participated in the MLK Day of Service since 2001. Last year, over 600 students, faculty, staff and alumni signed up with the school’s Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service to work together on a number of direct service projects throughout the D.C. area. This year, they have already reached capacity and have a waitlist to participate!
Many volunteers will use MLK Day to help elementary schools. Last January, students at the University of California at San Diego helped rejuvenate Howard Pence Elementary School by painting murals and improving their garden. UC San Diego has participated in the MLK Day of Service since 2002. According to Kristin Luciani, social media and communications manager for UC San Diego, the MLK Day of Service is one of their biggest events of the year. Nearly 200 volunteers participated last year. Luciano also said their goal is to take this one day of service and turn it into something more long term.
In addition to the school improvement projects, volunteers also organized a workshop for Pence students and parents to learn about college. Topics included the application process, scholarships, financial aid, and support services.
In 2014, Students at Emerson College Los Angeles worked to spruce up the Horace Mann Middle School. Volunteers with City Year painted educational murals, inspirational quotes, and college logos throughout the school to help make a more engaging learning environment for the students.
At Miami University in Ohio, students have volunteered locally in their community at various organizations. Previously, students played bingo with the elderly, stocked food at the Oxford Community Choice Pantry, and worked with animals for the Animal Adoption Foundation.
Volunteers in Ohio have also helped paint and refurbish a property purchased by Sojourner Recovery Services, a non-profit that provides substance abuse treatment for adults, adolescents and their families. Eileen Turain, development director of the organization, said she enjoys working with the students from Miami University’s Hamilton campus and the Connect2Complete program. “We’ve worked with the students before and they’ve been very helpful. This facility helps people needing and wanting our services and programming.”
The MLK Day of Service is also a day of celebration. Many organizations incorporate festivities along with their service projects. In addition to organizing a number of volunteer opportunities and educational activities, Greenville Technical College in South Carolina had a Giving Station one year for students at their Barton Campus Student Center. Students made donations to Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County, and also rotated through service stations where they made sandwiches for agencies serving the hungry, appreciation cards for veterans and service members, and created toys for groups helping animals in shelters.
Dr. King said, “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”
This MLK Day, find time to address the broader concerns of your community. Join hundreds of thousands of people in making an impact. If you’re still looking for volunteer opportunities, visit the NobleHour website or the MLK Day of Service website for listings. Remember, it’s not just a day off. It’s a day for you to be on and active in your community. Don’t forget to let us know about your MLK Day of Service projects so we can share the good news!
Since 2007, NobleHour has proven to be the volunteer management solution for organizations across the nation. With its robust online platform, NobleHour enhances community engagement with a variety of innovative and transformative tools for finding, tracking, and measuring volunteer, service‐learning, and community service initiatives. With offices in Lakeland, FL, and Portland, OR, the NobleHour team is dedicated to empowering good in communities across the country.
By NobleHour Special Contributor:
Dolly Duplantier
Consultant, NobleHour
Contributing Writer / Blogger
Public Relations and Communications
Greater Chicago Area
Dolly Duplantier is a freelance writer, editor, and social media specialist. She is the mother of three children, one college graduate, one in college, and one in high school. Writing about people and organizations making a difference is one of the best aspects of her job!
