UIS students volunteer at ten locations during the national Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

Over 100 students from the University of Illinois Springfield participated in the national Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Monday, January 16, 2017. Students volunteered at ten Springfield locations.

Students packaged over 10,000 meals as part of the Stop Hunger Now event held in the Student Life Building at UIS. Stop Hunger Now gets food and life-saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable people, and works to end global hunger in our lifetime. Established in 1998, the organization has provided over 225 million meals in 74 countries. Based in Raleigh, N.C., Stop Hunger Now operates throughout the U.S. and through affiliates in developing countries.

In the Springfield community, students arranged storage space at the Habitat for Humanity Restore, worked with residents at Concordia Village, assisted with house duties at the Ronald McDonald House, prepared for an upcoming food giveaway at Serving Jesus Willingly Urban Ministry and sorted donated medical supplies at Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach.

Students also prepared stuffed toys and craft kits for patients at St. John’s Children’s Hospital, painted Head Start areas for the Springfield Urban League, sorted donations at the Hope Thrift Store and helped refurbish computers at the Computer Banc.

Earlier in the day, students watched the documentary “The Line”, which tells the story of people below the poverty line, and heard from Christine Westerlund of the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies. They also participated in the NAACP Martin Luther King Jr. Unity March and town hall meeting in downtown Springfield before starting service activities.