Pitt State to participate in 2nd Annual MLK Jr. Day of Service

PITTSBURG Kan. – Students, faculty, and staff will fan out at non-profit agencies and organizations on Monday in support of Pittsburg State University’s 2nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, buoyed by a successful first event in 2024.

Taking place nationally on the third Monday in January each year since 1994, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the only federal holiday that also is designated by Congress as a National Day of Service — a “day on, not a day off.”

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for service and volunteerism, was tasked with leading the national effort.

Participation has grown each year, providing meaningful change in communities as a nod to King’s inspiring legacy of service and leadership.

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve,” King famously said in a sermon in 1968.

The inspiration

Locally, Pitt State Dean of Students Jon Bartlow was inspired last year by conversations with President Dan Shipp.

“We both wanted to see more opportunities for students to get involved in our community, to have a greater understanding of the people who live here and the place they’re calling home for several years,” Bartlow said. “Martin Luther King Jr. Day seemed like the best place to start: his life embodied service.”

Brainstorming with others on campus led to the first event in 2024, which featured a keynote and breakfast. Nearly 100 volunteers then headed to local agencies and non-profit organizations to clean, organize, sort, and assemble.

“The connection between the community and the campus is an ingrained part of the culture at Pitt State,” said Deatrea Rose, associate vice president of Inclusion & Belonging.

This year

This year’s event is being organized by the Office of Inclusion and Belonging, Athletics, and Campus Activities.

Volunteers have registered in advance to fill slots to help at the Family Resource Center, SEK Recycling, Salvation Army, SparkWheel, Wilderness Park, Wesley House, Grand Villas, Lord’s Diner, Medicalodges, Sonshine Childcare, Pittsburg Community Child Care Learning Center, as well as on campus creating cards for residents of assisted living facilities.

As of Tuesday, a few remaining slots remain for those who wish to join the initiative: Source