The Saint Leo community observed “a day on, not off” on January 17 as the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day offered students, faculty, and staff time for service to their communities.
“MLK Day of Service is an incredible opportunity to live out the legacy of the late Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.,” said Brandee Greaves, assistant director of the Office of Community Service. “Dr. King implored everyone to be good stewards of community. In celebration of the national day of service, the Office of Community Service hosted a few projects. Volunteers served at the St. Petersburg and Tampa [FL] MLK parades, volunteered at the Dade City and Zephyrhills Gulfside Hospice thrift stores, and conducted a roadside cleanup.”
Saint Leo’s Social Justice Committee also hosted the virtual Run Toward Justice 5K, which was one of the community service activities available to students, faculty, staff, and the public. Find out more here.
In addition to university-coordinated service projects, employees were welcome to serve off-campus at their preferred organization or agency, also.
Volunteer events included:
- In Tampa, staff members and the men’s lacrosse team assisted law enforcement and city officials with crowd control and distribution of supplies for the annual MLK Day parade.
- In St. Petersburg, sorority and fraternity members helped feed parade participants.
- The women’s lacrosse team cleaned and assisted at local thrift stores, where the proceeds go toward providing care for Gulfside Hospice patients and their families.
- Members of Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity hosted a roadside cleanup.
“Each experience allowed our staff and students to meet community members, learn about the MLK parade experience and make it a day on and not off,” Greaves said.
