Instead of taking the day off this past Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, 66 Shoreline Community College students, staff, and members of the larger Shoreline community honored Dr. King’s legacy by giving back to the community through a day of service.
Participants broke into groups and either went to local grocery stores to collect donations for the campus food pantry or picked up roadside trash on Innis Arden, Carlyle Hall, and Greenwood Ave. Over 20 bags of trash and more than 30 bags of food were collected during the three-hour service project.
The event was led by students and staff from Student Life, Benefits Hub, Associated Student Government, and Multicultural Center. This was the second year the MLK service day has focused on a canned food drive to benefit the College’s food pantry.
“Food insecurity is a real issue that affects many of our students daily,” said Sundi Musnicki, Director of Student Leadership and Residence Life at the College. “We are so grateful to everyone who showed up to help collect donations for our food pantry, which is a valuable campus resource that helps students succeed in their studies by making sure they have a source of nutritious food.”
The roadside cleanup came about as a result of a conversation between college representatives and members of the surrounding community. The cleanup represented an opportunity for the two groups to collectively care for the neighborhood and streets bordering campus that we all enjoy.
The service project kept Dr. King’s legacy top of mind. “The spirit of the day is one of selflessness and service, principles that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. embodies to this day,” said Musnicki. “These projects were organized to provide students, faculty and staff, and community members with an opportunity to reflect on these ideals and use the ‘time off’ to give back to the campus and community where we work, live, and play.”
United Way of King County helped organize community participants including those from Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Washington Conservation Core, Outreach, New Engen, and Microsoft. Thank you to Trader Joe’s and Central Market for hosting the canned food drives at their Shoreline locations.
Contact the Benefits Hub to learn more about the campus food pantry including how to access it or donate.