More than 250 volunteers from Walsh University commemorated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with service activities benefitting the entire Stark County community on Monday, January 16. University volunteers included Walsh students, athletic teams, faculty and staff members who partnered with more than 20 community organizations to address topics that ranged from education, homelessness, hunger, veteran widows and care for the elderly.
Massillon Independent: In Service of Others: MLK Day Helps Students Give Back
New sites added this year included the St. Joseph Catholic Church of Massillon where volunteers managed the Soup Kitchen and the North Canton Public Library professional clothing drive for veteran widows in affiliation with Haven of Rest and the YWCA.
Cavalier student athletes also volunteered at the Pro Football Hall of Fame with Big Brothers and Big Sisters, the North Canton YMCA, Louisville YMCA and the Massillon Boys & Girls Club. Members of the Cavalier football team volunteered to clean and organize classrooms at Our Lady of Peace Elementary School, while the Blouin Leaders in Social Justice packaged resources at Stark Fresh in Canton. Walsh Black Student Union members volunteered at the Urban League, Refuge of Hope and YWCA of Canton, while several groups of volunteers visited Stark County assisted living facilities to organize activities and provide services for residents.
Volunteers returned to Walsh University’s campus for a buffet dinner and service reflection with special guest speakers DeLores Pressley, who was honored with an honorarium of appreciation, and Pastor Walter Moss who led the Invocation.
The MLK Day of Service is a way to transform Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s life and teachings into community service that helps solve social problems. That service may meet a tangible need, such as fixing up a school or senior center, or it may meet a need of the spirit, such as building a sense of community or mutual responsibility. On this day, Americans of every age and background celebrate Dr. King through service projects that: strengthen communities, empower individuals and bridge barriers.
Walsh University 2017 MLK Site Partners Included:
- St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Massillon, Soup Kitchen
- Our Lady of Peace Catholic School
- Boys and Girls Club of Massillon
- Urban League
- House of Loreto
- Stark Fresh
- Bethany Assisted Living
- North Canton YMCA
- Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Rose Lane Nursing Home
- St. Luke’s Assisted Living Community
- Windsor Nursing Home
- North Canton Public Library
- Louisville YMCA
- Refuge of Hope
- YWCA Canton
- Students on campus also participated in a service project for Days for Girls, held in the David Center Atrium