DUBOIS – A group of Penn State DuBois students spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day in service to others in the DuBois community.
Austin Miller, Alex Davis, Duncan LaValle and Ryan Lingle all chose to spend the day on, not off, in the Penn State Tradition of the MLK Day of Service, honoring King’s own dedication to service of others.
This year, the students cleaned and organized the kitchen at the First United Presbyterian Church in DuBois, helping to prepare for the church’s upcoming community breakfast.
They then spent the afternoon running Bingo for residents at the DuBois Continuum of Care senior community.
“Service has no ‘day off’. Â There’s simply no holidays or vacation days when it comes to service as there’s always a continuous need for different areas in our world,” said Lingle of his motivation to participate.
“While some may have a day off of work or school, the people in need simply do not. Their needs continue every day of the year, which is why I will continue to serve and help the community no matter the day.
“Helping others in need is simply just what I love to do, and I hope more people continue to devote their time in this manner as well.”
Miller shared, “This is my third time doing the MLK day of service and I have never regretted doing it once. It is an awesome opportunity for students to participate in service.
“I personally do it because I believe that I should try to help others as much as I can. While I could have spent my time doing something else that benefited just me, I choose to do something else that benefitted others.
“It’s not always clear at first what the benefits are of doing service. However, at the end of the day, you see all the work you have completed and how much that has positively impacted those in that community.
“On top of that, it gives you a feeling of accomplishment. I feel that service is one of the most important things we can do as human beings. The desire to help others is one of the biggest factors that will help everyone prosper, as well as make the world a better place.”
Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first observed in 1986. In 1994, congress designated the holiday as a national day of service, charging the Corporation for National and Community Service with leading this effort.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the only national holiday designated as a national day of service.
