SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday also marks the 26th anniversary of the Day of Service, honoring the Civil Rights leader’s legacy.
Despite COVID restrictions, some students in Southfield honored that commitment by leading by example.
At MacArthur K-8 University Academy, community service is the center of everything the students do.
“We teach the importance of why it’s important to give back and be a part of the community,” said 3rd grad teacher Era Benson.
Students and teachers work together on community service projects all year round, but on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, those service projects are highlighted.
“I think one message that we want our children to get from this is that it’s not always about you,” Benson said. “Yes, let’s think about other people. Let’s think about Dr. King’s dream of giving to others and making sure that everyone is treated equally and given the same privileges and advantages.”
In 2020, students created the “Feed the Homeless” program and collected food and essential items on their own to give out to the less fortunate.
With coronavirus restriction in place, MacArthur students volunteered last spring with the Farmers to Families program. Every Friday, students helped hand out boxes of fresh food, fruits and vegetables to local families in need.
Observed every year on the third Monday of January, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national Day of Service to encourage everyone to volunteer. While the pandemic makes it challenging, there are ways everyone can make Monday a Day of Service.