Events honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. find special resonance on UNCG’s diverse and service-oriented campus. Among the numerous student activities that kick off the Spring semester, perhaps the favorite is the MLK Day of Service that occurs each year on the Saturday before the MLK holiday.
ChangeMakers in Action
The all-day event is organized by the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement. This year, 200 students gathered at the EUC and then divided into groups to be transported for volunteer work with various non-profits in the community.
Students volunteered at Barnabas Furniture Bank, Reading Connections, Backpack Beginnings, Family Room Foster Care, Beyond Sports, SHIELD Mentor Program, Spartan Open Pantry, Peacehaven Farm, and Terrabella Senior Living.
Kristina Feduik, career coach at Career & Professional Development, was this year’s coordinator for the MLK Day of Service. She emphasized how the event mirrors the values of diversity, connection, and service that UNCG embodies.
“We build in intentional reflection activities to link what students did at their volunteer site with the purpose of Dr. King’s legacy of community service,” Feduik said. “It’s always empowering to see what students take from their service experience, whether that’s a commitment to continue their own community service, finding a new advocacy area they are passionate about, or making a new friend.”
Mission Possible
Those who missed the day of service should plan to attend the annual intercollegiate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Program on Wednesday January 29 at the Deese Ballroom at the NC A&T Student Center. The program, “Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Non-Violence,” is a collaboration between UNCG and NC A&T, along with Greensboro College, Guilford College, and Guilford Technical Community College.
Participants will enjoy speakers, dialogue, and service- award presentations in a program featuring the NC A&T Gospel Choir, Charlotte Poet Laureate Jay Ward, and UNCG artist in residence and North Carolina’s Inaugural Poet Laureate Josephus Thompson, III. Click here for more information and Spartan Chariot transportation details.
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications.
Videography by Grant Gilliard & David Row.
Photography by Sean Norona & Tsunami Em.
