Spend day off school helping others in honor of MLK

Last year, 150 people participated in the volunteer event. (Photo: Spencer Long)

UIC will host its annual MLK Day of Service Jan. 21.

“Part of having the event on MLK Day is this idea of at least taking a little bit of time to reflect on the civil rights movement and on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy,” said Suzan Akin, associate director of UIC Student Leadership and Civic Engagement. “Ask yourself, ‘How is it that I want to leave the world a better place than how I found it?’”

UIC Student Leadership and Civic Engagement promotes the event as “a day on, not a day off,” encouraging people to kick off the semester on a positive note by aiding the community.

Students, staff, faculty, and alumni are encouraged to participate. In the past, people have brought their friends, siblings, and even families depending on the project. Register online for the event.

Once the organizations participating in the event are confirmed, registered participants will be notified and can select their preferred site.

Last year, approximately 150 UIC community members volunteered at a wide range of location sites, which included Asian Youth Services, Lincoln Park Community Shelter, Cornerstone Community Outreach, the Anti-Cruelty Society, and UI Health, among others.

“MLK Day of Service is a great chance to either find a new organization that you think is interesting or continue serving in a capacity that you already know you enjoy,” said Kennedy Hayes, a graduate assistant in the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement. “It is open to every kind of student, whether you are in your first year or about to graduate.”