BYU students honor Martin Luther King with service projects | News, Sports, Jobs

Students weave cots out of plastic grocery bags during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event at the Wilkinson Student Center of Brigham Young University on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.

A student writes a letter to a rising sixth grader during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event at the Wilkinson Student Center of Brigham Young University on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.

From left: Students Neil Borchardt, Danielle Dalton, and CJ Dalton write letters to veterans during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event at the Wilkinson Student Center of Brigham Young University on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.


Students write letters to rising sixth graders for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at the Wilkinson Student Center of Brigham Young University on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.

Sarah Hunt, Daily Herald

Students weave cots out of plastic grocery bags during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event at the Wilkinson Student Center of Brigham Young University on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.

“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve,” Martin Luther King Jr. said from the pulpit of the Ebenezer Baptist Church on Feb. 4, 1968.

On Monday, Brigham Young University students and members of the community came together at the Wilkinson Student Center to celebrate King’s life and legacy with acts of service.

Volunteers chose between a host of service projects, including building supply kits for elementary students, writing letters to local veterans and building cots out of grocery bags for unhoused people.

BYU freshman Harley Rogersed volunteers with Tutor Outreach Provo Schools by writing encouraging letters to rising sixth graders. No matter the project, Rogers knew she wanted to give back to the community.

Sarah Hunt, Daily Herald

A student writes a letter to a rising sixth grader during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event at the Wilkinson Student Center of Brigham Young University on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.

“It gives you a chance to focus on other people instead of your own problems,” Rogers said. “I really like BYU’s motto, ‘enter to learn, go forth to serve,’ because it makes it clear that I can use not just my secular education, but also my religious studies and talents to help others in my future career.”

BYU’s day of service in honor of MLK was just one in a series of nationwide service projects on Monday. The legacy of King, America’s most prominent civil rights leader, continues to inspire students like Rogers.

“I think it’s really inspiring that one person can make such a difference. Even though he faced so much oppression, he continued to speak out about nonviolence and peace with love,” she said.

Additional volunteers wrote letters to veterans, asking questions, expressing gratitude and sharing anecdotes about themselves. Students were also given a choice to leave their email address at the end of the letter — in case the recipient wanted to continue the conversation.

Danielle Dalton, CJ Dalton and Neil Borchardt worked together on their letters. The trio tried their best to express gratitude and workshopped jokes, in hopes of making their recipients smile.

Sarah Hunt, Daily Herald

From left: Students Neil Borchardt, Danielle Dalton, and CJ Dalton write letters to veterans during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event at the Wilkinson Student Center of Brigham Young University on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.

CJ Dalton said she was grateful for the event, in an effort to make service “a normal, everyday part of your life.”

Volunteers worked at stations hosted by several nonprofits and organizations including Community Action Services, Habitat for Humanity, United Way of Utah County, Utah Healing Arts, Deseret Industries, Friends for Sight, Stop and Serve, Project Uplift, Early Learning Essentials, Tutor Outreach Provo Schools, BYU Sustainability and Vineyard City.

Students write letters to rising sixth graders for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at the Wilkinson Student Center of Brigham Young University on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.

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