The MLK Student Build: Habitat for Humanity was one of many events organized in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day by 黑料不打烊.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King once said, 鈥淟ife鈥檚 most persistent and urgent question is, 鈥榃hat are you doing for others?鈥欌 King dedicated his life to the well-being of others. And days after a winter storm, with the ground still covered in the snow and ice, 黑料不打烊 students put the welfare of others above their own as they volunteered for the Habitat for Humanity: MLK Student Build.
The Habitat build is a part of several events organized by 黑料不打烊 during the week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in honor of the civil rights activist and was made possible through a partnership between the 黑料不打烊 Volunteers! organization within the Kernodle Center for Civic Life and Habitat for Humanity of Alamance County.
It’s one of two Habitat builds this week, with 黑料不打烊 faculty and staff volunteering on Friday with the organization.
Each year the 黑料不打烊 Habitat for Humanity campus chapter sponsors the construction of a house in the Alamance County area, with the effort including fundraising as well as encouraging student volunteers to work at the building site to get first-hand community-building experience.
鈥淰olunteering was always something I鈥檝e wanted to do,鈥 said Emily Cozzone 鈥25, an elementary education major. 鈥淚 was excited when I heard that there was an opportunity to do it.鈥
Danielle DaSilva 鈥24 worked on several volunteer projects in high school and was looking forward to participating with the MLK Student Build last year before it was canceled. Going forward, she hopes to do more volunteering.
With the habitat build being a part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorative events, DaSilva said it is important that everyone engage in some self-reflection to see how they can best support their community.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 easy when you come from a more privileged place to forget about the issues in the world. So, I think that when you have the opportunity to help out, you should do so,鈥 DaSilva said.
Micah McCravey has been assistant construction manager for Habitat for Humanity of Alamance County since July 2021. In that time, he鈥檚 been a part of two builds and wishes he could do more volunteer work. The process of seeing others come together to work for a collective cause for a stranger is something that is the most significant part for McCravey, and representative of what King stood for.
鈥淲e rely on the volunteer help, especially with big work like this. We couldn鈥檛 do it without them,鈥 McCravey said.
Cecil Lee Cohen Jr. directly understands the benefits of the Habitat for Humanity program, as he became a homeowner thanks to the organization. He decided to return the help that was given to him by volunteering for the build.
Written on the wooden framework of the home are messages of encouragement and endearment, . This is a prime example of how the community unites for the betterment of others and continues what King spent his life fighting for.
鈥淗abitat for Humanity has been a great experience for me, being able to pay it forward and actually help people I don鈥檛 know means a lot to me,鈥 Cohen said.
The theme for the 2022 MLK Day celebrations is 鈥淓mbodying the Four Basic Steps of a Non-Violent Campaign,鈥 based on King鈥檚 1963 . The four steps 鈥 a collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive, negotiation, self-purification and direct action 鈥 are used as guides for the week of events which aim to provide opportunities to 鈥渕ake the invisible visible鈥 and advance the intersectional understanding of racism, classism and other injustices.
The remaining 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration events, hosted by the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education, can be found here.