EECO AmeriCorps members and Bonner AmeriCorps members always serve on Martin Luther King Day, but it had not been held as a campus-wide event at Montclair State University until January 19, 2015. EECO AmeriCorps members Courtney Moore and Robin Paoletti, the co-coordinators of the event, encountered many obstacles, but their diligence and can do attitudes really brought the campus community together with over 235 volunteers participating in the day’s events!
Volunteers made over 900 sandwiches for local soup kitchens and wrote personal messages of gratitude and hope for 800 U.S. soldiers overseas.
In the past six years, MLK Day volunteers served over 6,000 hours bettering our campus and the New Jersey area – now that’s a huge impact!
This annual service event invites Montclair State University students, faculty, alumni and local community members to serve the Montclair community and surrounding areas as we continue to honor of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.’s lifelong dedication to justice, equality and service for the greater good.
Off-campus sites offered diverse causes, including:
- Healthcare access (MedShare)
- Elder care (Waterview Center and Canterbury Village)
- Fire prevention and safety (the Montclair Fire Department)
- Advancement of people with disabilities (Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey)
- Hunger (supermarket can drive)
- Empowerment of people living with HIV and AIDS (Hispanic Multi-Purpose Services Center)
- Transition from homelessness (Covenant House).
On-campus projects included:
- Making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
- Writing cards for U.S. soldiers overseas
- Reorganizing the on-campus Red Hawk Pantry
- Blanket making
Virtual service included:
- Messages of Hope for Mental Health Awareness (Aspire Tomorrow)
- Writing thank you to frontline workers (#Thousands of Differences)
- Lending your voice (VocalID)
- Write letters and sending photos to seniors & active service members
Last Modified: Tuesday, January 24, 2023 2:39 pm