Shepherd students serve community on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

ISSUED: 20 January 2010
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
(Shepherd students serve community on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)

Shepherdstown, WV--Students took to the classroom, as well as a local soup kitchen to serve others as part of Shepherd University's A Day On Not a Day Off: Day of Service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday.

Members of the Multicultural Leadership Team (MLT) disinfected classrooms at Ranson Elementary and North Jefferson Elementary schools. The rest of the day was spent at Trinity 6:34, a weekly worship service and community meal gathering at Trinity United Methodist Church in Martinsburg. While there, students helped prepare food, make sleeping bags out of donated materials, and serve the nearly 100 people who attend the dinner each week.

Naomi Lockley, a sophomore at Shepherd from Ashburn, Virginia, said that she had fun despite working on what would otherwise be a day off.

"I like helping out," Lockley said.

Lockley, a music education major, said that assisting in the classrooms on Monday showed her just how much work goes into being a teacher.

"It was time well spent," Lockley said.

Sophia Khan, a sophomore biology major from Shepherdstown, said that it was nice to put time to good use.

Kareem Khondary, a junior political science major from Martinsburg, said that he would otherwise be at home sleeping.

"But I'm actually doing something," Khondary said.

Gregory Khan, a senior business and economics dual major from Trinidad Tobago, was serving his fourth consecutive year with the MLT.

Not only does Khan feel that it's worthwhile, but said that the opportunity to serve is "a whole different experience unless you do it."

Christina Johnson, director of Multicultural Student Affairs and Disability Support Services, said that with a team of so many, it's hard to keep everyone busy, but the day went well despite the size.

The MLT is a scholarship-based organization. According to Johnson, 45 scholarships are given each semester that pay 25-75 percent of the recipients' tuition and room expenses. The scholarship is open to any full-time undergraduate, degree-seeking student.

Johnson said that the focus of the day of service was to make an impact.

"They really appreciated the opportunity to engage with the community and see how their efforts benefited others," Johnson said. "Not only did we do work, but we had fun volunteering as a team."

-30-KESNER

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Students spent the afternoon making sleeping bags at Trinity United Methodist Church in Martinsburg.

Students stand in line waiting for their turn to serve plates of food at the soup kitchen.

Dr. Sharon Kipetz, Vice President for Student Affairs, hands plates to volunteers who served meals

Students help prepare food for the meal.

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