At campuses across the state, college students and community members made Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a “day on” rather than a day off.

Hundreds of students, college administrators, community members, and youth participated in service projects to honor the legacy of Dr. King.

At West Virginia University, students created ribbons to increase awareness of the tragic earthquake in Haiti. Another project found students decorating bulletin boards across campus to educate others about Martin Luther King.

Other projects benefitting Haiti were organized at Concord University and WVU-Parkersburg.
Concord University students filled three full Food for Children shifts and packaged 9800 meals for Haiti, while WVU-Parkersburg students raised $2700 for the Red Cross’s mission in Haiti.

Communities across West Virginia will benefit from the dedication of college students as well.

At Marshall University, 1,000 meals were distributed to homeless shelters and community centers around Huntington.

Potomac State College students updated cottages for disadvantaged youth at the Burlington United Methodist Family Services Center in Burlington, WV.

Bluefield State College raised money for a computer lab at Ceres Elementary School, while West Virginia Northern Community College students donated a truckload of winter weather gear to Wheeling’s Homeless Coalition.

Other projects included a food drive that resulted in two carloads of donations to Morgantown-area food pantries.

The projects were funded by mini-grants from West Virginia Campus Compact, a statewide coalition of college and university presidents dedicated to promoting service at institutions of higher education. The funding was made possible by North Carolina Campus Compact and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

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CONTACT: Franchesca Nestor, West Virginia Campus Compact
304-293-7133, Franchesca.Nestor@mail.wvu.edu