ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Winthrop University will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a week of service projects sponsored by student organizations to encourage their members and others to embrace a culture of service.
This year’s community service options will be available from Jan. 13-19 either on campus or with York County agencies. There are no Winthrop classes and offices are closed on the King federal holiday, which is observed on Jan. 16.
Civic Engagement Coordinator Jessica Martin said various student organizations have volunteered to sponsor the service projects this year. The participating organizations will be invited to a MLK Reflection lunch on Jan. 20 at 1 p.m. in the Richardson Ballroom to share insights.
The service projects include sustainability efforts, hygiene kit assembling, food donation sorting, clothing sorting, craft projects and more. Student organizations sponsoring projects this year are S.O.A.R., Council of Student Leaders, Alpha Phi Alpha, WU Association of Black Journalists, Gamma Beta Phi, WU Society for Human Resource Management, Winthrop Ambassadors, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and Blueprints.
Students were asked to register for the challenge on Eagle Engage at: https://winthrop.presence.io/form/mlk-day-2023-service-week.
Also on Jan. 16, the Xi Phi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will hold a vigil at 7 p.m. in Dina’s Place in the DiGiorgio Campus Center.
Since 2000, Winthrop has reserved MLK Day as a day of celebration, remembrance and service with a campus-wide event sponsored by various departments and organizations. Typically, it is Winthrop’s largest one-day community service event.
For the second year, Winthrop is asking students to participate in a week of service, rather than only serving one day, as organizers want to create a culture of service.
“This event couldn’t have happened this year without our great student organization leaders, and all the time they spent collaborating with community agencies to provide service opportunities,” Martin said.
To follow Winthrop’s MLK activities on social media, search for #MLKServiceWeek2023.
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 803/323-2404 or e-mail her at longshawj@winthrop.edu.
