Gearing up for six weeks of service

By The Beacon | January 31, 2012 9:00pm
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UP students take on service projects to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and Black History Month

(Kayla Wong | The Beacon)

By Nikki Robles, Staff Writer -- robles15@up.edu

Most college students decide to spend their Friday evenings going to parties or hanging out with friends. Junior Alexa Roy chose to serve stew to the homeless at Saint Andre Bessette Catholic Church as part of UP's Dream UP: Six Weeks to Serve campaign.

Roy, along with other UP volunteers, served meals and gave blankets to the homeless as a way to give back and to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders who viewed service to others as a means to build strength within the community.

"It's humbling because at UP, it's the UP bubble," Roy said. "We see very affluent college people and here we see the opposite."

"It's really interesting to interact with them and to see their different approaches (to life)," freshman Hanna Bauer added.

Students who volunteered at Saint Andre Bessette heard compelling stories including that of a man who lost his wife and had been hurt while working with horses. He has attended the evening hospitality program for over a year.

"When we give back, we learn more about ourselves, we learn more about others," Melissa Marley, the assistant director of service and community partnership for the Moreau Center, said.

Dream UP: Six Weeks to Serve, which began on Jan. 16 and runs until the end of February, allows students and faculty to participate in projects to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. and other leaders who fought for equality as well as to celebrate Black History Month.

"MLK Day is a national day of service, but we did not just want one day to serve his legacy," Marley said.

As of Jan. 30, Marley tallied more than 100 people who have pledged to volunteer throughout the six weeks.

"Any service events or social justice issues that we're putting on during the six weeks is going to be attributed to the Martin Luther King six weeks of service," sophomore and Service and Justice Coordinator for Mehling Hall Kylie Pybus said.

As part of Dream UP, there will be 14 projects and events held throughout February. Some volunteering experiences include Friends of Trees, Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United and Adults with Disabilities.

"I think more people should do this because people get a greater value for what they have," freshman Maribel Barajas said.

Friends of Trees will conduct its biggest event of the year on Feb. 18. Volunteers will have a chance to directly impact the community around UP by planting trees in University Park, Cathedral Park and the St. Johns Neighborhood.

"It'll be one thing to plant a tree in your yard, but it's a completely different experience when you go out and devote a day to beautifying someone else's neighborhood and improving their quality of life," sophomore Campus Volunteer Coordinator Danielle Knott said.

Pybus will organize a trip to Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United), a union located in Woodburn, Ore. The event, set to take place on Feb. 25, will focus on raising awareness of immigration issues and migrant workers' rights.


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