By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
On Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service more than a 1,000 Bowling Green State University students, staff and faculty spread out from campus to show their colors. Those weren’t necessarily the usual orange and brown, but the more muted tones of specially designed t-shirts for the event.
Peggy Reisberg, director of the First United Methodist Child Learning Center, said that her young students will be pleased on Tuesday when they arrive in the lunch room to find it brightened up with a fresh coat of paint.
“It’s not always easy to find the time to do projects like this, so it worked out perfectly,” she said.
The brighter lunchroom was the work of a BGSU student crew. It was one of about 50 projects in Bowling Green and Toledo.
Ashley Robinson said the projects are more than just a way of helping, but also “a way to connect with the community we’re living in.”
That’s important even if students are only here for a short time.
BGSU students and La Conexion kids at Home Depot.
Kaila Gardner said giving back to the community is crucial. “If you’re able, you should put in the time,” she said.
Those values are promoted by her family, which was marching on Monday on the parade honored King back in Detroit, and by her sorority Sigma Gamma Rho.
Brianna Bucks, the site coordinator, said students could have used the day getting rest, or studying for the first round of quizzes. The first week of classes is stressful, she said. Instead they decided to take the day to work in the community.
Across town at the Home Depot another crew also spent their time painting. This crew was working on book shelves that will be distributed to families by La Conexion.
Beatriz Maya, director of the organization, said that during visits to home, staff noticed that people had televisions, but very few books. So they approached the Wood County District Public Library and Grounds for Thought to donate books. The book shelves are provided to store them.
Maya said this and the tutoring services are important because Latino youth have a “higher propensity to drop out.”
Oshionna Hicks said she was happy to be working on a project that promoted education. Those books just won’t help the children, but the whole family learn English, she said.
John Gallagher, a supervisor at Home Depot, said the crew was able to get 15 shelves painted, and added their own creative flair. Home Depot employee Jacob Price assembled the shelves, and was pleased with the paint job the students had done.
Amanda Durich said the Day of Service was a chance to get to work in the community and get to know some of her fellow students “while staying true to the values of Martin Luther King.”
Morgan Goodwin said that BGSU provides a “very good foundation of service. It provides a lot of different opportunities.”
