Temperatures on Saturday hovered around freezing, while remnants of a recent snowstorm dotted the University of Mary Washington campus. But inside the University Center, warmth and camaraderie emanated from students who took part in UMW’s MLK Day of Service.
Chenin Guber (left) and AJ Gluchowski make bagged lunches for Micah Hospitality Center as part of Saturday’s MLK Day of Service. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.
“During these times of isolation and challenge, it’s so great to see people come together for an important cause,” said sophomore Nathan Francis, a member of the student-run Community Outreach and Resources, or COAR.
That organization teamed up with UMW’s Center for Community Engagement (CCE) and James Farmer Multicultural Center (JFMC) to plan the event, held annually in January to commemorate the birth and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. More than 80 Mary Washington students participated in service projects, sewing scarves and blankets for local schoolchildren, sorting donations for the Bookmobile and preparing materials for a Fairy Godmother Project fundraiser for pediatric cancer. They made reusable grocery bags for the Fredericksburg Food Co-op and organized goods for the Eagle Resource Closet. A team of volunteers also braved the cold to clear tree limbs and branches along the nearby Canal Path.
JFMC Director Marion Sanford welcomed students with a quote from Dr. King. “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.” Read more.
