Service Event: Martin Luther King Day of Service

Event: MLK Day of Service

Date: January 21, 2019 from 7:30AM- 1:00PM

Location: Ohio Union/Broad Street Presbyterian Church

This month I attended the Martin Luther King Day of Service with some friends. When we got there we were given shirts and food to get us fueled for our day. Once the commencement ceremony began, the main speaker talked about Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and how each of our actions done that day within our community would help keep his legacy alive. He also talked about how this event was for Aretha Franklin as she was also an avid civil rights activist throughout her life. The service done on this day was meant to commemorate the message of love and care that both of these individuals spread. The ceremony was also filled with performances including rapping, choir singing, and dancing to hype us all up for the day. It was very uplifting and I felt even more ready to go out and work.

Once the introduction was over, we split off into our groups and were off on our way to our separate locations. My group ended up going to the Broad Street Presbyterian Church to help clean up and organize the church and do any other tasks that they needed us to do. When we got there they had various rooms that they wanted us to completely reorganize to make things easier to find in the future. I washed and organized the dish cabinets and helped sanitize the kitchen area. Unfortunately we were not able to finish cleaning everything in the short time we stayed in the church, but we did make good progress.

After finishing up at the church, our group sat together and discussed the experience we just had volunteering. Although this experience did not completely change my life, it did make me feel good knowing I did something helpful for someone else and that would enhance the experience that kids would have at the church. This experience helped me realize that even the smallest actions can make some positive impact on another in need. I never really thought about how volunteering connected to Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, but after hearing about it I’m now aware that just helping others in need is all about what MLK preached. I feel more inspired to continue this legacy and continue serving my community after this event.

Our group leader also talked about BUCK-I-SERV and encouraged us to apply if we want to continue our service endeavors. I actually applied for a BUCK-I-SERV trip after hearing so much about how fulfilling these trips are. I decided to apply for a BUCK-I-SERV in St. Petersburg, Florida to learn about the marine ecosystems in the region, help clean up the coastal areas, and remove any exotic plants. I felt that this trip suited my interests the most out because I have always been passionate about environmental conservation and I would love to learn more about the marine life in Florida. I am not sure if I am even going, but if I do get accepted, I hope to enhance the coastal community in some way to help the marine life that inhabit it as well as the people that live around it. Service has been a part of my life since high school and with this event I have become more inspired to continue serving my community in college and keep Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy in my life.

 

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