Yesterday marked the first time that Spring Arbor University participated in the National Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, which was instituted by Congress in 1994, and is coordinated in memory of Dr. King. During this inaugural event, 220 volunteers came out to partner with local nonprofit organizations in a spirit befitting the day.
Through a grant from Michigan Campus Compact, a service-based organization, SAU had the opportunity to serve the local Jackson area at the Salvation Army in Jackson and the Jackson Interfaith Shelter. Sponsored by the Office of Intercultural Relations, the organizers hoped for at least 150 volunteers, but were pleasantly surprised as 220 turned out to serve. The University closed all offices and held no classes on January 18, in observation of the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
Volunteers showed up to campus at 9 a.m. and then were transported to Jackson where they spent the morning stocking pantries, serving food, folding letters and playing with children. They also spent time washing walls, stairwells, windows, tables, chairs, etc.
In addition to SAU community members, about 20 community members from nearby Partnership Park participated in the service projects. Some of the volunteers noted how important it was for families with children to participate and the positive impact it had on them.
"It was such a blessing to see both the Jackson and Spring Arbor University community come together to serve. It is a clear indication to me that here at Spring Arbor we desire to both mobilize and prepare our students for community service both now and in the future," said director of the Office of Intercultural Relations, Michael Eatman.
Due to the great response from this year, the Office of Intercultural Relations already has plans to expand the volunteerism to increase their help to five organizations.
“One positive problem we had was there were so many volunteers that we ran out of service projects for the volunteers to participate in. We hope to have an even greater turnout, meaning more volunteers and more people served.”
In the afternoon, the University held a celebration titled, “Quality of Character,” in the dining commons at the Kresge Student Center. The celebration consisted of a worship time, poetry readings and a team reading of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech featuring speakers Banjor Musa, Paul Drake, Qiong Gao, Ryan Gilmore, Cristiana Cavallari, Colette McKinney and Liz Sutton. Various faculty and student speakers also spoke about the importance and meaning of Dr. King’s life and legacy.
For more information about the Office of Intercultural Relations, visit the OIR web site.