Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

Monday, January 16, 2006

Record Number of Volunteers Sign Up for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

During the final round of Jeopardy, played in the large ballroom of the Campus Center, children from the Baptist Church of All Nations in Taunton were asked to recite four lines from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. With a little help from members of Phi Sigma Sigma sorority and Sigma Pi fraternity, the children scored big and both teams emerged as victors in the end.

The ladies of Phi Sigma Sigma sorority were a few of the record number 116 volunteers from Bridgewater State College to participate in the 3rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on January 16. They spent the day doing everything from serving meals at a homeless shelter to helping kids create mosaic tiles to playing trivia games with veterans on the 20th anniversary of this national holiday.

Boarding buses, vans and cars, volunteers traveled to MainSpring Coalition for the Homeless in Brockton and Middleboro, The VA Medical Center in Brockton, The Children's Museum in Easton and Cradles to Crayons in North Quincy. Some volunteers remained on campus to participate in arts and crafts projects with young kids in attendance at the President's MLK Day breakfast program.

After a full day of painting, cleaning, sorting clothes, stocking shelves, serving food and helping kids, students had an opportunity to reflect on the day's events.

"I feel like I've gained a greater appreciation for what I have in life," said Katie Balboni, who spent her day painting at Conway House, a family shelter located in Middleboro.

Volunteers were amazed at the enormous amount of donations for children in need at Cradles to Crayons. The staff shred startling statistics about homelessness and poverty in the United States, as well as in Massachusetts. "It opened my eyes to important issues we are facing as a country," a student responded.

Members of the Program Committee had a fun-filled day at the Children's Museum in Easton where they helped kids make mosaic tiles as a part of the Museum's annual MLK Day celebration. Not only did they strengthen their skills in working with children, they also learned more about Dr. King's life as a result of the activity.

Some members of the BSC community teamed up with patients at the VA Medical Center to play a game of history Poker rally, testing everyone's knowledge on the life of Dr. King. Veterans were able to share stories about their days in combat while students listened attentively. But more importantly, BSC students gained something more valuable.

"I gained more respect for veterans," said Teresa Carr. Rosilene Carvalho was equally moved by her experience at the VA Medical Center. "I was impressed by how lively they were and how smart they are."

As the buses, vans and cars returned to the Campus Center, volunteers filed off one by one, some covered in paint and others covered with smiles after a long day of serving others. Kaitlyn Greenwood, who spent her day at MainSpring House in Brockton, summed up the day. "I gained a lot of respect for service and how much of worthwhile and learning experience it is."

Last Modified: January 26, 2006