ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Winthrop University will offer a week of service activities to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. The service opportunities begin on Friday, Jan. 12 and continue through Jan. 19.
There will be five service opportunities available on and off campus to encourage students to embrace a culture of service, according to Kinyata Brown, assistant dean of students for diversity, engagement and inclusive excellence. So far, more than 60 students have signed up to participate.
There are no Winthrop classes on Jan. 15, which is the King federal holiday. Offices also will be closed.
The week begins with a kick off at 2 p.m. on Jan. 12 in the Tuttle Dining Room. “We’ll have words of inspiration to jumpstart the week, distribute T-shirts, review the week’s activities and have lunch,” Brown said. JaVonda Palmer, executive director at Pilgrims’ Inn, will also speak to bring awareness of local service opportunities and ways students can get involved at Pilgrims’ Inn.
Below are the service opportunities which are sponsored by student organizations and the Department of Student Engagement:
Jan. 13, Manna House Pantry, Rock Hill, sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha
Jan. 14, Pilgrims’ Inn care packages, sponsored by Gamma Phi Beta
Jan. 16, Campus Clean Up, sponsored by Student Engagement
Jan. 18, Tender Hearts Ministries, sponsored by the Winthrop Ambassadors and the NAACP
Jan. 19, Adult Enrichment Center, sponsored by S.O.A.R.
Other efforts include campus clean ups every Friday in January through the Office
of Sustainability.
To help remember King’s contributions, the Xi Phi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will hold a vigil on Sunday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. in Dina’s Place in the DiGiorgio Campus Center. Guest speaker will be Brother Wendell Sumter. The vigil, an approved cultural event for students, will also feature performances by the Winthrop Vision of Prayze Gospel Choir.
Since 2000, Winthrop has observed MLK Day as a day of celebration, remembrance and service with events sponsored by various departments and organizations. The community service component is coordinated by Winthrop’s MLK Committee, which includes members from Residence Life, Student Engagement, Sustainability, S.O.A.R. and students.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at longshawj@winthrop.edu.
