MiddBrief MLK Day of Service 2009

Author: Patrick D'Arcy

The second annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, organized by the Alliance for Civic Engagement (ACE), drew 55 student volunteers at 10 different worksites on Jan. 17.

"Last year we only had six sites, with forty volunteers," said Service and Activism Initiatives Coordinator Ashley Calkins. "[This year] we actually had to turn away volunteers and reschedule with them."

Day of Service events included a painting project at Addison County Teens, a diversity story-hour with Page 1 Literacy and cooking in Carr Hall for farm workers in Bridport. Athletes made up a large number of the volunteers - the women's tennis team traveled to the Vermont Foodbank in Barre, VT, the women's field hockey team cooked desserts for the Community Lunch program at the Congregational Church in Middlebury and the women's lacrosse team helped with projects at Helping Overcome Poverty's Effects.

"I was impressed with people's enthusiasm and willingness to start," Calkins said, especially since starting early on a Saturday morning might not be ideal for college students.

As part of the events success, Calkins also cited exposure of the new Charter House, a transitional housing shelter in Middlebury, which opened Jan. 5.

"It was great that student Carrie Sparkes '10 organized a brunch at the Charter House," Calkins said. "The Charter House is staffed by volunteers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, so the brunch was a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about volunteer opportunities at the Charter House."

"In today's economic climate," Calkins said, "it is especially important for students to get engaged at the local level to support agencies that are working to meet critical community needs." She hopes this event was an "introduction to service" not a one time thing, and will inspire students to continue to get involved in the community.