Ƶ Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. With Community Service, February Events
In keeping with Dr. King’s commitment to service and as part of the National Day of Service in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Ƶ community participated in a morning of community service for a variety of organizations.
The University’s annual Take the Day On service event brought together around 120 students, faculty, staff and alumni to assist in projects for 17 local organizations on February 4, 2023. The day began witha program and blessing in Lowe Dining Hall before the volunteers headed out and concluded with a post-service reflection back on campus.
Volunteer activities included:
- Hempfield Township Parks and Rec: Preparing park and indoor facilities for winter months
- Rewind Reuse Center (Export): Organization, sorting, and creating craft kits for kids
- Habitat ReStore: Cleaning and organization of the store
- Delmont Library: Labeling new books in collection
- YMCA: Painting railing and pool doors
- Habitat for Humanity Build (Lowber): Interior demolition
- Heal Animal Rescue: Organizing, cleaning, and painting facilities
- Faith Forward (Latrobe): Cleaning and organizing storage area
- Blackburn Center: Assembling informational packets for clients of domestic violence and sexual abuse
- YWCA: Cleaning and organizing of facilities
- Caritas Christi: Stitch to Serve with Sisters
- Salvation Army: Painting
- St. Emma’s Monastery: Cleaning and organizing of facilities
- Big Brothers Big Sisters: Addressing cards and assembling gift baskets
- SHU Greenhouse: Preparing greenhouse to start plants from seeds
Find media coverage of Ƶ's Take the Day On volunteers in the and .
Ƶ’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Task Force also held its annual educational program in commemoration of Dr. King’s birthday with a speech by Dr. Ronald W. Whitaker II of Cabrini University about Dr. King's life and legacy on February 15. Dr. Whitaker is the appointed Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Associate Professor of Education and the Director of the Center for Urban Education, Equity, and Improvement (CUEEI) at Cabrini University and holds the distinction of being a Schouver Fellow at Duquesne University.
Dr. Whitaker spoke on the topic "Can this sickness be cured?"
"(Dr. King) expected America to rise to a higher standard," Dr. Whitaker said, and he discussed how King gave his life for the cause of Civil Rights.
"Dr. King realized if you're really going to do social justice work, you've got to be all in," Whitaker said. "You've got to be all in because it may cost you your life, it may cost you your profession, it may cost you your personal relationships."
Because Ƶ students do not arrive on campus for the spring semester until after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the University’s celebration activities are held annually in February.
