Days of Service

Volunteering in recognition of the National Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service has become a cherished tradition for the NEOMED community.

For the 2023 Day of Service, we will be partnering with a local charity and participating in a hygiene drive.

Focusing on addressing insecurities in underserved communities in rural Portage County, Ohio, the Rural Relief Mobile Food Pantry is partnering with NEOMED to provide local school teachers with boxes of hygiene packs to discretely distribute to kids in need. Teachers always know best which of their students lack certain resources.

NEOMED students, faculty, and staff who wish to participate in this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service can drop off travel sized hygiene items to the Human Resources Office. Preferred items include: toothpaste, deodorant, body wash/bar soap, shampoo, small packs of tissues, and hand sanitizer. If you want more ideas or want to make a purchase through the organizations Amazon wish list, click here (purchase will be mailed directly to the organization). Please drop off your items by January 27, 2023. For any questions, please contact Molly at momalley@neomed.edu.

For more information on the Rural Relief Mobile Food Pantry, you can visit their webpage at https://rrmfp.org/home

What is the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service?

After a long struggle, legislation was signed in 1983 creating a federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1994, 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 this effort. 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.” The MLK Day of Service is a part of United We Serve, the President’s national call to service initiative. It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems. The MLK Day of Service moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community.”

Why Serve on the Martin Luther King JR. Day of Service?

Dr. King believed in a nation of freedom and justice for all, and encouraged all citizens to live up to the purpose and potential of America by applying the principles of nonviolence to make this country a better place to live—creating the Beloved Community.

The MLK Day of Service is a way to transform Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and teachings into community action that helps solve social problems. That service may meet a tangible need, or it may meet a need of the spirit. On this day, Americans of every age and background celebrate Dr. King through service projects that strengthen communities, empower individuals, bridge barriers, and create solutions.