Appalachian State University student volunteers work in the gardens at Hunger and Health Coalition in Boone during the university’s 2022 MLK Day of Service, Feb. 26. Pictured in the foreground is Meredith Maiken, a senior sustainable development major from Lake Toxaway. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Student volunteers from Appalachian State University sort food items donated to the Hunger and Health Coalition in Boone during the university’s 2022 MLK Day of Service, Feb. 26. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Pictured in the foreground, Appalachian State University junior Kam Miller, a communication, advertising major from Gastonia, splits wood at Helping Hands Woodlot Ministry in Boone during App State’s 2022 MLK Day of Service, Feb. 26. Photo by Kyla Willoughby
Cori Ferguson ’21, a graduate student in Appalachian State University’s industrial-organizational psychology and human resource management program, cleans the floor of the serving area at F.A.R.M. Cafe in downtown Boone. Ferguson, who holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology-business from App State, volunteered at F.A.R.M. Cafe as part of the university’s 2022 MLK Day of Service, Feb. 26. Photo by Kyla Willoughby
Appalachian State University students work to clear and prepare raised garden beds at Boone’s Hunger and Health Coalition during App State’s 2022 MLK Day of Service, Feb. 26. Photo by Kyla Willoughby
Appalachian State University student volunteers sort and organize donated foods items at the Hunger and Health Coalition in Boone during App State’s 2022 MLK Day of Service, Feb. 26. Photo by Kyla Willoughby
Student volunteers from Appalachian State University help split wood at Helping Hands Woodlot Ministry in Boone during App State’s 2022 MLK Day of Service, Feb. 26. Sophomore Rachel Rosalia, a social work major from Wilmington pictured in the foreground, is all smiles while volunteering. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Appalachian State University senior Abhaya Velmani, an English major from Cary, sweeps the kitchen area of F.A.R.M. Cafe in downtown Boone — a nonprofit, pay-what-you-can community cafe that operates primarily with the assistance of volunteers. Velmani was one of more than 50 App State students, staff and faculty who volunteered during App State’s 2022 MLK Day of Service, Feb. 26. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Three Appalachian State University student volunteers pause for a photo during App State’s 2022 MLK Day of Service, Feb. 26. More than 50 App State students, staff and faculty participated in the annual event, serving local nonprofit organizations. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Appalachian State University student volunteers display the “A Simple Gesture” bags they helped fill with donated food items as part of App State’s 2022 MLK Day of Service, Feb. 26. A Simple Gesture, a program chapter operated by Boone’s Hunger and Health Coalition, helps keep the High Country’s food pantries and food banks stocked — helping those in the area who experience food insecurity. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Appalachian State University student volunteers work together to clean the floor at F.A.R.M. Cafe in downtown Boone during App State’s 2022 MLK Day of Service, Feb. 26. Photo by Chase Reynolds
BOONE, N.C. — More than 50 students, staff and faculty participated in Appalachian State University’s 2022 MLK Day of Service, Feb. 26 — marking more than two decades of Mountaineer community service in the High Country through this day of reflection, education and service.
The annual event, organized by the Office of Community-Engaged Leadership (CEL) with support from Intercultural Student Affairs, honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his message of social service, as participants accomplish challenging projects alongside community partners — all while being challenged intellectually, socially and physically.
“Today is a day to remember that the pursuit of freedom and justice is seldom an easy path. It takes all kinds of people and all kinds of action to create change, and all of us have the capacity to contribute to Dr. King’s legacy,” said App State interim Chief Diversity Officer Jamie Parson, who delivered remarks at the event kickoff in Plemmons Student Union.
App State Community members completed 162 volunteer hours, serving four local nonprofits: F.A.R.M Cafe, the Hunger and Health Coalition, the Volunteers-In-Parks program for Blue Ridge Parkway and Helping Hands Woodlot Ministry.
Each organization asked students to complete a service project — from splitting wood and sorting and organizing donated food items, to deep cleaning facilities and preparing gardens for spring planting.
App State’s first MLK Day of Service — formerly known as the MLK Challenge — was held in 1999 and has since become a model for campuses across the nation.
North Carolina Campus Compact, a member of a national coalition of 1,000-plus community-committed colleges and universities, wrote a $300,000 grant in 2011 to replicate the CEL program throughout the state and nation.
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About the Office of Community-Engaged Leadership
The Office of Community-Engaged Leadership at Appalachian State University engages students in academic, experiential and community-oriented programs that enhance their capacity to serve and lead in socially responsible ways for the benefit of their local and global communities. The office comprises the former Appalachian and the Community Together (ACT) and Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) offices. Learn more at https://cel.appstate.edu.
About Student Affairs at App State
Student Affairs at App State supports student success and well-being by fostering a culture of care, inclusion and engagement. Its mission is to develop lifelong learners and dynamic leaders through meaningful experiences that challenge and support students. Grounded in a commitment to care, engage and transform, Student Affairs creates a student-centered environment that encourages resilience, leadership, service and global learning. Student Affairs encompasses the following units: Campus Activities, Case Management, the Child Development Center, Community-Engaged Leadership, Counseling and Psychological Services, Office of the Dean of Students, New Mountaineer and Family Engagement, Off-Campus Student Services, Plemmons Student Union, Student Conduct, M.S. Shook Student Health Service, Student Legal Services, Student Veteran Services, University Recreation, and Wellness and Prevention Services. Learn more at https://studentaffairs.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
