MLK Day of Service brings community together through volunteer work

University of Mississippi students, alumni and local residents volunteered across Lafayette County at animal shelters, community centers, a food pantry and a community garden project during an MLK Day of Service hosted by the Division of Student Affairs.

The University of Mississippi's Division of Student Affairs hosted an MLK Day of Service that brought together students, alumni and members of the Lafayette‑Oxford community for volunteer work across Lafayette County. Registration began at the Jackson Avenue Center, where League of Women Voters representatives were also present. Tymingie Flowers, an alumna and local sorority leader, gave remarks linking the work to Martin Luther King Jr.'s emphasis on service. Volunteers then dispersed to several sites to carry out different tasks. Event details: - Participants included university students, alumni and local residents, with the Division of Student Affairs coordinating the event and League of Women Voters providing voter information at registration. - Volunteer sites included the Oxford Animal Resource Center, the Gordon Community and Cultural Center in Abbeville, Grove Grocery and Faith Planters, plus on‑site projects at the Jackson Avenue Center. - Activities ranged from bathing and walking dogs, building cat shelters and making dog toys, to cleaning and landscaping at the community center, organizing pantry shelves and building wooden planting beds for community use. - Student organizations and Greek chapters such as Alpha Kappa Alpha and Kappa Alpha Psi, along with the Black Student Union and other volunteers, were reported as taking part in specific site assignments. Summary: The event connected university and local volunteers with nonprofits and community projects as a way to honor Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy through hands‑on service. Undetermined at this time.