GUILFORD COUNTY, N. C. — Monday may have been a break from class for students in the Piedmont Triad, but the education didn’t stop. “We are separating the items. We are cleaning the shelves.
GUILFORD COUNTY, N. C. — Monday may have been a break from class for students in the Piedmont Triad, but the education didn’t stop.
“We are separating the items. We are cleaning the shelves. We are mopping the floors to make sure everything is good for everybody that needs some food,” said Jocelyn Chadwick, a junior at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
About 300 students from UNCG spent MLK Day doing service projects. Some of them working at the Spartan Open Pantry near campus.
“I feel like doing it on MLK Day today is especially powerful because we are basically giving back time that he took out his life to work,” UNCG freshman Diwani Robinson said.
The project at the Spartan Open Pantry hit closer to home for students volunteering there.
“It’s crazy because we learned today that 34 percent of our students really need this,” Chadwick said.
The pantry’s sole purpose is to help students in need.
“So, we are all a part of this one community if one person is in need then we all need to make sure that we can meet that need,” said Arianne Ouedraogo, a junior at UNCG.
MLK Day was no different for students at North Carolina A&T University. Many of them went to Four Seasons Town Centre in Greensboro to participate in a full day of service too.
The Men on the Move organization on campus was just one of the group’s that came out to help.
“It’s very important especially as black males that we get involved with community events and getting involved in volunteering events because we’ve overcome a lot as black people. We definitely want to be involved when it comes to being an example for young kids and younger students,” said Anthony McEachin, NC A&T student and member of the group.
Inside Cottrell Hall on High Point University’s campus, volunteers also participated in the day of service where they put together care packages for homeless veterans.
“Being able to get this many High Point students to come out is just so beneficial and so amazing,” said Darryl Remedio, a junior at High Point University.
Remedio’s nonprofit, United Apparel, helps veterans in need.
They put together the event, which brought not only students, but community members and even veterans together in the same space.
“We are packing, hopefully we are going to make 300 blessing bags which is filled with items like tooth brushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner,” Remedio said.
“It’s great to see young people realizing what these veterans have done for their country. If it wasn’t for the veterans they wouldn’t be here.” said Karl Watson, of American Legion Post 87.
In a matter of minutes, the volunteers collected more than a hundred of these blessing bags
“Well I think kind of as [Dr.] Martin Luther King [Jr.] used to be everyone is inclusive, working together all these people here. Everyone working together as one unit,” Remedio said.
Students plan to start mailing the bags off next week to different partners, like Heal Our Heroes in High Point.
Filed in: News
Topics: High Point University, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, NC A&T, UNCG
