Doing their part in a volunteer effort that spanned the nation on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a team of 17 CUA Law students, with faculty members and administrators, spent several hours on Jan. 19 honoring the legacy of the slain civil rights leader by working in service of others.
Along with a contingent of undergraduate students from Catholic University, the law school team spent all morning and into the afternoon at the Washington Hebrew Congregation, where they prepared more than 2,000 meals, sorted clothes and made blankets and cards for area homeless shelters. Each year, Catholic University honors the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by participating in this national day of service. By working with several community partners, CUA hopes to serve and respond to the needs of the local community.
Established in 1983, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with leading the effort to promote its message. Taking place each year on the third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service - a "day on, not a day off." It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to the most pressing national problems. Other area sites that benefitted from volunteer service on Monday included:
- Carroll Manor
- Washington Hebrew Congregation
- Rock Creek Conservancy
- City of Hyattsville
- Catholic Charities
- Bethlehem House
- Seabury Age-In-Place Services
- Student Conservation Association
- Washington Parks and People
- St. Anthony's Catholic School