Students, faculty and staff can give back to the community and honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s (MLK) legacy on Jan. 19 by taking part in the annual MLK Jr. Day of Service.
While the university will be closed, students can have a “day on, not a day off,” by taking part in different volunteer opportunities both on-and-off campus.
Senior Isabella Gonzales has worked in the Marvin Center for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement for two years now, and last year she planned the event herself as a project.
This year, she leads a group of students who are not only planning the event, but are also learning the importance of giving back to their community in the process.
“It’s honoring Dr. King’s legacy and learning more about what he did and why his work is so important and honoring that through service,” she said.
Along with the community service aspect, Gonzales said they’ll start the day with a morning session where those attending can hear from Black Student Union representatives on Dr. King’s impact, and President Rodney Rogers as he explains why the service day is important for both the university and the community.
During this morning session, Voices at Bowling Green State University (BGSU), an on-campus choir, will also be performing at the event, Gonzales said.
She also said the committee decided to celebrate student volunteers on their day off from school with raffle baskets and awards, which is a new addition to MLK Jr. Day of Service this year.
“We’re really trying to show our appreciation for students who do come out and serve on their day off,” Gonzales said.
Another new aspect this year is the microgrant offered to six student organizations or individuals leading a creative service project that reflect on Dr. King’s values.
According to past BG Falcon Media reporting, two $1,000 grants and four $500 grants were awarded to cover project expenses, including supplies, materials, transportations and outreach efforts.
“I think it’s really cool to see students step up and lead their own projects,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales said they are working with 28 community partners this year, which can help students to identify those in the community they’d want to help serve.
“Maybe a partner that they are interested in helping, or who maybe have helped them, like a food pantry or some kind of environmental situation and give back in that way,” she said. “There’s just always such gratitude that comes afterwards from the 28 partners.”
For Gonzales personally, she said community service has always been a part of her upbringing and she wanted to continue that in college.
“I just felt like I wanted to give back to the programs, organizations and community that have helped BG be so welcoming and then also programs that have helped me specifically,” she said.
To sign up or learn more about service events hosted by the Marvin Center, visit: https://bgsu.givepulse.com/group/693973-c-raymond-marvin-center-for-student-leadership-and-civic-engagement
