By Ely Murray
Students and faculty at William Peace University participated in pushing the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through the MLK Day of Service Jan. 21. Students chose from a variety of volunteer sites and spent the day helping organizations within the Raleigh community.
The MLK Day of Service is an annual event that helps promote King’s message through community involvement, social activism, and helping the less fortunate.
Sophomore Curare Cross volunteered at Family Promise, a homeless shelter designed for families in the Raleigh area. They are one of the few shelters within the area that allows families to stay together, regardless of the age and gender of their children.
“I helped clean apartments that homeless families stay in until they’re able to get by without assistance,” said Cross. “Seeing these people be so grateful for our help made me realize just how much people need to give back to their communities. Saving a struggling family from having to do something as small as clean their oven could save time and stress and allow them to make finding jobs even just a fraction of a bit easier.”
While there were opportunities to volunteer off campus, students had the option of creating impact on campus. Tatiana Brown, a junior at WPU, made cards for soldiers overseas so they can have the comfort of knowing they are not forgotten here in America.
“The actions presented on Dr. King’s holiday truly showed the spirit of the Pacers as a community and the solidarity Dr. King and his message represents. I helped create cards for the soldiers overseas and though minimal, this truly represented the spirit of the day.”
“No matter if you were helping install fire alarms, working with the underprivileged or even making cards for our soldiers, the kindness instilled truly showed what our tiny corner of the universe can do when banded together,” said Brown.
Graduate Assistant for Student Involvement Bailey Craddock was one of the main components in organizing the Day of Service.
“It was really special to see all of the Peace community come together to serve not only our campus community, but also our greater Raleigh community. It was great to see alumni, students and family all working together side by side,” said Craddock.
Day of Service was followed by a Celebration service in Main Chapel on Jan. 24.