Students Stand Together for MLK Day of Service

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” This quote by Martin Luther King Jr. often appears on social media around the anniversary of the civil rights leader’s birth.

Charlotte Russell, a first-year student at the University of Mary Washington, reflected upon those words, which were also emblazoned on the back of her T-shirt, as she participated in UMW’s MLK Day of Service on Saturday.

University of Mary Washington students gathered together on Ball Circle on Saturday for UMW’s annual MLK Day of Service. They spent the day – organized by UMW’s Center for Community Engagement (CCE), student-run Community Outreach and Resources (COAR) and James Farmer Multicultural Center – engaging in socially distanced volunteering opportunities on campus and in the Fredericksburg community. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

“I wanted to share a message that everyone can relate to, and hopefully, it will speak out to people in need of a little encouragement,” said sophomore Grayson Collins, who spent UMW’s MLK Day of Service chalking Campus Walk with positive messages. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

“Service is such an important part of Dr. King’s legacy because it honors his life and teachings,” said Russell, who shared her own messages of encouragement with her peers through chalk drawings on Campus Walk. “Volunteering brings together people from diverse backgrounds with the common goal of helping the community.”

Typically held the last weekend in January, the annual celebration was rescheduled because of inclement weather. But neither the threat of rain this weekend nor ongoing precautions due to COVID-19 could dampen the spirit of service shown by dozens of UMW students. They spent the day – organized by UMW’s Center for Community Engagement (CCE), the student-run Community Outreach and Resources (COAR) and the James Farmer Multicultural Center – engaging in socially distanced volunteering opportunities on campus and in the Fredericksburg community.

Despite the pandemic, “UMW students are still passionate about making the world a better place,” said CCE Associate Director Sarah Dewees. The scope of activities students could participate in was limited, she said, so the Center offered “take and make” kits to create blankets and scarves for Fredericksburg City Public School students and handmade cards for residents of an area nursing home.

From left to right, Kylie Jackson, Grayson Collins, Charlotte Russell and Kayla Kippes with the chalk messages they created in front of Lee Hall as part of the MLK Day of Service. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Senior Jaelynn Scott (left) and sophomore Sha’Lelia Moore (right) pick up litter on the UMW campus during the MLK Day of Service. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

First-year student Kylie Jackson (left) and sophomore Grayson Collins (right) chalk Campus Walk on Saturday as part of the MLK Day of Service. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Juniors Quinn Lipetz (left) and Alexandra Polymeropoulos (right) pick up litter on campus. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Junior Alexandra Polymeropoulos picks up litter thrown inside the Jepson Science Center fountain. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

As her service project, sophomore Katharine McDaid assembled personal hygiene kits for Empowerhouse, a local nonprofit that supports survivors of domestic violence. “It’s a huge problem in this country,” she said. “People shouldn’t have to worry about grabbing these essentials when they are escaping unsafe situations.”

Others picked up litter and worked on campus and downtown beautification projects. Sophomore Taylor Coleman volunteered with Tree Fredericksburg. “As I worked, I thought about how simple actions can have big impacts,” she said, “like how a tree can be saved just by removing ivy from its trunk.”

Students helped Tree Fredericksburg with mulching and caring for trees in Kenmore Park as part of the MLK Day of Service. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Senior Anna Beth Tanner (center) and junior Carleigh Rahn (right) work on removing ivy from a tree at Kenmore Park while volunteering with Tree Fredericksburg. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Senior Matthew Katz (right) removes invasive ivy on a cedar tree at Kenmore Park. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Senior Anna Beth Tanner (center) holds a piece of ivy she removed from a tree in Kenmore Park while volunteering with Tree Fredericksburg, as junior Carleigh Rahn snaps a photo. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

From left to right, first-year students Julia Hoffman and Alexandra Mills, sophomore Taylor Coleman and senior Allison Grant remove invasive ivy from the trunk of a tree in Kenmore Park. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

In addition to volunteering in person, UMW students had the option of joining a Zoom call from the comfort of their rooms and spending the afternoon listening to music and answering trivia questions about Martin Luther King Jr. Several students joined the call to discuss how to carry on Dr. King’s legacy, as they worked on their projects.

“Dr. King believed it was possible to build a ‘beloved community’ through these acts of goodwill and service,” said Bucky Goforth, a COAR staff member who helped promote the event on social media. “When we stand together, and when we do the work that needs to be done, we are more powerful than we could ever be ourselves.”