Villanova’s mission deeply aligns with the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”
This year, that greatness was on full display as more than 300 members of the Villanova community dedicated their day off to participate in the 19th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
Volunteers arrived at 7:30 a.m. on Monday morning at Jake Nevin Field House. They enjoyed a light breakfast and engaged in a gathering hosted by the Day of Service Committee and special guest, University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D.
Seniors Sofia Arrascue and Majo James served as co-presidents for this year’s MLK Day of Service and started off the event by delivering opening remarks.
“Today, we serve in honor and remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man who reminded America of her promise,” James said. “We are called to do charitable works like you all will be doing today. We are called to serve. But, we are also called for social justice, to not only bandage the wound but heal it.”
Volunteers then departed for their sites around 8:30 a.m. and returned to campus around noon.
When asked about the success of the event, Arrascue credited the collaboration between the students on the MLK Day of Service Committee and the Office of Belonging and Inclusion.
“We wanted to focus on making sure that we had enough studentws on our committee that were really passionate and excited about the event, who also took initiative,” Arrascue said. “We work with the Office of Belonging and Inclusion and those staff members do support us a lot, but we noticed that students could do more.”
The event aims not only to bring Villanovans closer to their surrounding community members, but also to each other.
“A lot of what our event is, it brings together groups from all over campus, from all different affinity groups, and brings them together to do this day of service,” James said.
When discussing why students should participate in this event in the future, Arrascue referenced the University’s Augustinian mission. Villanova follows Augustine’s push for Communitas and being there for others.
“That is something that we at Villanova do through service,” Arrascue said. “If we want to contribute to both Augstinian values and the things MLK stood for, it is a good way to bridge both of those.”
James encourages people to think about the meaning of the holiday when deciding how to spend it.
“MLK day is more than just a day off from classes,” James said. “It’s important to spend that day in reflection and to carry out Dr. King’s legacy of progress.”
For Arrascue and James, this year’s MLK Day of Service was a success with volunteers serving at around 32 community locations in the Greater Philadelphia area. Both co-presidents hope to see student participation continue to grow in the coming years.
