On Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day students and staff at Finlandia University take a break from classes and give their energy to the local community. To pay tribute to the man that changed the trajectory of civil rights in the United States, the annual Finlandia MLK Day of Service puts the normal university day on hold so that FinnU students, staff, alumni, and friends of the university can make their little bit of difference through small acts of kindness.

From providing manual labor to supporting St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store to lending a hand in a Girl Scouts of America meeting, last year’s community service opportunities ranged widely. The 2019 MLK Day of Service had a large turnout that included a total of 203 people, of which 181 were students.

Looking ahead to MLK Day of Service on Jan. 20, the Director of Residence Life, Leann Fogle provided insight as to what the students will experience.

“Whether it’s socializing with the elderly, helping others prepare for the long winter months, or reading to small children, it’s wonderful to see our small Finlandia community make such an impact on our U.P. communities,” said Fogle.

Fogle also emphasized the impact that community service has on both the organization and student participants.

“We have had such a positive reaction from our students,” said Fogle. “They come back from their service site excited, energized and happy they were able to help someone else. We have even had students interested in creating relationships with the sites so they can go back again.”

Each student participant can choose from three activities on MLK Day of Service that will go on record as attendance credit for any of the classes that were canceled. The three activities students can choose from include:

-A community worship service on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Chapel of St. Matthews

-Community service opportunities with MLK Day of Service

-Film screening titled “When We Were Kings” on Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in Wargelin 303

For more information, please visit https://www.finlandia.edu/student-affairs/mlk-day-service/.