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Students volunteer to work with the Knoxville Re-Animation Coalition

How to get Involved after the MLK Holiday

Although Martin Luther King Jr. Day has passed, there are still multiple opportunities for students, faculty and staff to get involved around campus and beyond.

The Clay and Debbie Jones Center for Leadership and Service (JCLS) is hosting the annual MLK Jr. Days of Service, where anyone can volunteer their time to help out starting on January 31 through February 11. Sign-ups are still open with plenty of spots available. You can read more about MLK Jr. Days of Service here.

“Volunteers can sign up to serve either in the morning or afternoon on any of the 10 days,” said Laura Ketola, assistant director of the JCLS. “We will be working with 19 different community agencies and hope to have hundreds of volunteers.”

This annual event is usually held over the course of one day, but with the current COVID pandemic still around, new rules have been put in place for everyone’s safety. The events are now spread out over two weeks, and we are still following all university guidelines.

Last year due to COVID the event was changed to be longer to allow for much smaller groups. Based on positive feedback from last year, it was decided to keep the format the same. The hope is that during these service events the campus community can learn about some of the great work that is happening in Knoxville and how they can support their community. 

“Some of the organizations we will be working with include Remote Area Medical, Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful, Ladies of Charity, SEEED Knox, Ijams Nature Center, and more,” said Ketola.

All students can receive community service hours from volunteering, and transportation is provided to all service events during these weeks.

Elizabeth McCarthyElizabeth is a senior from Philadelphia, PA, majoring in public relations with a minor in business management. She has a passion for graphic design, social media and writing, and her favorite thing to do at UT is attending football games with her friends. She plans to move to Nashville after her graduation in May to pursue public relations and marketing.