Many ways to help others on Jan. 18 Day of Service

UIC students and employees can sign up to spend the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday volunteering in Chicago.

Register for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Jan. 18 to spend the day off school and work helping others.

UIC students and employees can donate their time to one of 10 projects during the service day, sponsored by Student Leadership Development and Volunteer Services. Participants can paint, decorate and clean shelter spaces, bake cookies or write comfort cards for the Illinois Medical District Guest House. Projects also benefit A Safe Haven Foundation, Casa Central and other service agencies.

“One of the things that we’re intentional about when we’re setting up sites for days of service is that we want volunteers to learn about the community they’re helping and learn about the organization to really understand the root causes of what is needed,” said Olivia Desormeaux, graduate assistant in Student Leadership Development and Volunteer Services.

Desormeaux wants students to have a chance to connect with Chicago.

“”We want to emphasize the importance of our surrounding communities,” she said. “We really like the idea of viewing UIC as part of the community.”