Volunteer Shoveling on MLK Day

by Adopt-A-Park Staff

Staff from Ann Arbor's Adopt-A-Park program led 14 student volunteers in cleaning up Liberty Plaza to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy by working together to tackle area problems. The students joined hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country in making the holiday a day on, not a day off, by serving others.

“Martin Luther King devoted his life to advancing equality, social justice and opportunity for all and taught us that everyone has a role to play in making America what it ought to be,” said Tina Roselle, the coordinator of the Ann Arbor Adopt-A-Park program. “By serving today and throughout the year, we honor Dr. King and help realize his dream of equality and opportunity for all.”

by Adopt-A-Park Staff

Volunteers from Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc-Delta Rho Chapter and other University of Michigan students spent the afternoon cleaning up Liberty Plaza by removing snow and litter. They also assisted some of the less fortunate by sharing food and warm drinks. Yesterday’s event was part of a series of workdays planned by Phi Beta Sigma Inc - Delta Rho Chapter in their ongoing commitment to Liberty Plaza and the Ann Arbor community.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, and organizers see the milestone as a perfect opportunity for Americans to remember Dr. King’s life and legacy and to honor him by taking action to solve problems in their communities.

The Corporation for National and Community Service leads the annual MLK Day of Service, working with the King Center in Atlanta and thousands of nonprofit groups, faith-based organizations, and schools and businesses nationwide. Projects took place in all 50 states and included delivering meals, refurbishing schools and community centers, collecting food and clothing, signing up mentors, reading to children, promoting nonviolence and more.

Many organizations are using MLK Day as the springboard for service throughout the year.
“Because of the economic downturn, needs in our community are particularly great right now. We hope many who are serving today will make an ongoing commitment to serve throughout the year,” said Tina Roselle.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service each year through its core programs, Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. Visit nationalservice.gov for more information.

Jason Frenzel is Natural Area Preservation volunteer and outreach coordinator for the city of Ann Arbor.