building healthy lives and vibrant communities
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY OF SERVICE
UNCG, GREENSBORO COLLEGE, AND BENNETT
COLLEGE HOST MLK SERVICE CHALLENGE
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: “Life’s most persistent and
urgent question is: what are you doing for others?” On a chilly
January morning, over 250 college students in Greensboro
rose to the Challenge, responding to Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr.’s question.
UNCG’s Office of Leadership and Service Learning, together
with Bennett College and Greensboro College, collaborated to
plan and implement the “MLK Challenge” Day of Service on
Monday, January 20, 2014 – an event to celebrate and honor
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through community service.
THE CHALLENGE
Many “service days” entail placing people in various group
service projects which they are expected to complete. The
MLK Challenge takes this concept a step further by framing
the service as a “challenge” to be completed. Service projects
are selected based on local community agency requests –
the goal is to take on those projects for which community
organizations do not have the time or
resources to complete. The “challenges”
are primarily community requests for
manual/physical labor or fundraising
assistance – all projects that allow the
participating community organizations
to expand or improve upon their abilities
to help the populations they serve.
MLK Challenge participants are divided into teams and
assigned a service project requested by a community
organization. They are given a small budget, and are
responsible for garnishing additional resources to achieve
the goal. Teams receive only enough instruction to get the
project started, and work with small group facilitators to
brainstorm ways in which the project could be completed.
This particular method of group service elicits the problemsolving abilities that groups and individuals have within
themselves to accomplish major projects in a short amount
of time. Far from being told what to do and how to do it, MLK
Challenge requires participants to work together, organize,
problem solve, realize their capabilities, and achieve a major
goal.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
265 students from UNCG, Greensboro College, and Bennett
College participated in the four-hour MLK Challenge on
January 20, 2014, contributing over 1000 hours of service to
local organizations in the Triad community.
Some students were challenged to fill 30 comfort backpacks
for Backpack Beginnings, a small nonprofit organization
that provides children in need with nutritious food,
comfort items, and other basic necessities through the use
of backpacks. Students were provided a small budget and
encouraged to solicit donations from local businesses to find
and fill 30 backpacks with stuffed animals, blankets, books,
school supplies, and hygiene items.
“I loved writing personalized cards for the children who
would receive the backpacks we packed,” reported one
student. “I got to think about how I would feel if I were in
their position and what message of inspiration would be
useful.”
Another group of students were challenged to plan and
implement a diaper drive for My Sister Susan’s House, a
transitional living program at Youth Focus for pregnant or
parenting young women in Greensboro. Armed with good
ideas and good intentions, students found collection boxes,
decorated them, placed them out in the local community, and
even created flyers in support of the drive. Weeks later, long
after the Day of Service was completed, students returned to
the collection sites and delivered all donated diapers.
On the other side of town at the Bryan Family YMCA,
Challenge participants were asked to reorganize the sports
equipment closet in preparation for sports camp. Without
any additional guidance, students successfully created an
organizational system that would increase the YMCA’s
efficiency going into their busy camp season.
“They’re doing projects that non-profits needed done, but
were a challenge. Whether it be we didn’t have the funding,
or an activity we didn’t have the time or resources to take care
of,” said YMCA volunteer coordinator Elizabeth Minehart.
Several service events accompanied the Challenge events
during the Day of Service, with students volunteering across
the community:
• SPCA - cleaned cages for animals staying in the shelter
• Project Linus - created blankets and care cards for sick
children
• Heritage Green Nursing home - cleaned wheelchairs
• Welfare Reform Liaison Project - sorted donations
Before breaking out to the various service sites, a breakfast
and opening ceremony was held at Bennett College to
educate participants on Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. The
day concluded with a Peace march from Bennett College to
Greensboro College, where students were encouraged to
reflect on their day of service and how they might continue
to live out a life of service.
LEARN MORE ABOUT UNCG’S OTHER
COMMUNITY-UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS AT
COMMUNITYENGAGEMENT.UNCG.EDU
A COMMITMENT TO SERVICE
redacted from http://newsandfeatures.uncg.edu/uncgstudents-take-a-day-on-for-service-on-mlk-day/
UNCG’s official motto is “Service,” and students have been
involved in service projects since the school’s inception. Joe
Frey, assistant director for community engagement in UNCG’s
Office of Leadership and Service-Learning, said students
today seem even more interested in service than they were
just a few years ago. During the 2012-2013 academic year,
UNCG students performed over 812,000 hours of community
service.
“Some students do come here with a service mentality, others
discover it through service-learning classes or one-day events
like this,” said Frey. “These one-day events are often the first
step. Students create connections – they get to meet other
students engaged in service and see the opportunities that are
in Greensboro. Our community partners do a lot to educate
students about community needs and why their organizations
exist.”
The MLK Jr. Day of Service is one of two major one-day service
events sponsored by the university. Many students also
participate in the Spartan Service Day in August. In addition,
there are a number of service trips throughout the year in
which students travel to other communities to volunteer for a
wide range of projects.
MLK DAY OF SERVICE
In 1994 Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act,
designating the King Holiday as a national day of volunteer
service. Instead of a day off from work or school, Congress
asked Americans of all backgrounds and ages to celebrate
Dr. King’s legacy by turning community concerns into
citizen action. The King Day of Service brings together
people who might not ordinarily meet, breaks down
barriers that have divided, leads to better understanding
and ongoing relationships, and is an opportunity for service
organizations to recruit new volunteers.
COLLABORATORS
Project Linus • Backpack Beginnings • My Sister Susan’s
House • Bryan Family YMCA • SPCA of the Triad • Welfare
Reform Liaison Project • Bennett College • Greensboro
College
MORE INFORMATION
http://olsl.uncg.edu/students/community-service/shortterm-service/mlk-day-of-service/ • http://charlotte.
twcnews.com/content/search/703804/college-studentshold-day-of-service-on-martin-luther-king-jr--day/