Northern Kentucky University volunteers braved the cold to give back to the community on Jan. 21. More than 600 students, faculty and staff participated in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Community Service.
Hosted by the Office of Student Engagement, the community service day is an annual event to remember Dr. King’s legacy. NKU volunteers preformed service activities at 28 locations across greater Cincinnati.
“I had the fortunate opportunity to work with children at the Kennedy Arts Center creating Valentines for older members in the community who rely on services like Meals on Wheels,” said Hannah Edelen, NKU student body president and volunteer. “These children are learning crucial things like empathy, compassion and service at such a young age. I cannot wait to see how events like the MLK Day of Service continue to shape children’s lives and those who choose to volunteer.”
“The Day of Service was such a great time with my friends while we were giving back to the community. We helped out at YMCA Norwood by cleaning gymnastics gear for an upcoming competition. It was a little cold, but once I started moving around and helping out, we quickly warmed up,” said Erin Reardon, NKU student volunteer.
Many NKU volunteers made the day of service a family event and enjoyed sharing the experience with their children.
“The MLK Day of Service was a phenomenal way to teach my daughters a way to serve in their community. We had the pleasure of making cards for veterans at the VA Medical Center in Cincinnati. They especially enjoyed this because my husband and I are both veterans. It was a fun way for the NKU community to give back,” Krista Rayford, NKU staff volunteer.
“My service location was Master Provisions. It is an incredible organization that provides food products to local families, as well as supplying other non-profit agencies with food, clothing, even tools,” said Sarah Skinner, NKU staff volunteer. “We stuffed garment bags full of clothing bound for Honduras. The students on my team were warm and friendly, and Master Provisions was appreciative. I would do this again in a heartbeat!”
NKU’s Office of Student Engagement has hosted Service on Saturday events since 2002. For more on the university’s upcoming “Service on Saturday” events, visit NKU’s Community Service webpage.
