Temple University will kick off the Spring semester with a university-wide celebration of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on January 16, 2012 in honor of Dr. King’s commitment to making the world a better place. 

Members of the Temple University community will fan out to community organizations in North Central Philadelphia and will also volunteer at Girard College, the host site for the City of Philadelphia’s MLK Day celebrations, which Temple is also sponsoring.

Below are some of the service projects and locations members of the Temple community will work at this year:

• Ferguson Elementary School – The Community Learning Network will lead a team to the school for cleaning projects.
• AME Union Church – The Computer Recycling Center, Office of Community Relations and the Temple Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers will work together to install computers for an after-school program at the church. In addition, students will conduct a cleanup project.
• Treehouse Books Cleanup Project – Community Relations will host a cleanup project at the organization's headquarters on Susquehanna Avenue. Treehouse Books is a nonprofit organization in North Philadelphia that seeks to grow and sustain a community of readers, writers and thinkers in North Central Philadelphia.
• Treehouse Book Drive – Community Relations will partner with the Temple University Black Alumni Alliance and Kappa Alpha Psi to host a book drive to benefit Treehouse Books. Greatest preferences are for African-American themed books (or books that represent the African diaspora). However, all subjects, titles and genres will be accepted. The requested age range for books is 5-16.
• Shoe Drive – The Institute for the Development of African American Youth and Community Relations will host a shoe drive. Participants are urged to donate new and gently used shoes to be sent to assist people in Haiti.
• Progress Plaza – The Fresh Grocer will partner with Community Relations to host a food drive. Patrons will be encouraged to donated food items which will later be delivered to Bright Hope Baptist and Berean Presbyterian Churches.
• Intensive English Language Program – A class from the program will visit the Office of Community Relations and view a documentary on the legacy of Dr. King.
• St. Malachy’s Church – A team from Temple, Campus Safety, Facilities and Operations, Pi Lambda Phi will conduct cleanup and maintenance projects at the church. 
• Woodstock Family Center – Campus Safety and Student Affairs will conduct cleanup and maintenance projects.  
• Norris Homes’ Community Center – Medical students and the Department of Nursing will assist in a cleanup project.
• YMCA – Community Relations and medical students will participate in a cleanup project.
• Fresh Grocer – Community Relations will host a canned food drive to benefit local pantries.
• “No-Sew” Blankets for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia - Ambler Owlreach will make “no-sew” blankets for children at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
• Girard College – Temple alumni, students and friends will present a number of activities at the Greater Philadelphia Area’s host site for the MLK Day of Service.

In addition to these events on MLK Day, a team from the College of Education, Office of Sustainability and Computer Recycling will handle a series of cleaning projects and installation of computers for a parent lounge at Dunbar Elementary School on Friday, Jan. 13. On Tuesday, Jan. 17, members of the Department of Nursing, Norris Homes and Community Relations will visit Grey Manor, a senior care facility, to offer health screenings and visit with residents.

Volunteers are needed at each of these sites. Those interested in these projects should contact Andrea Swan, Community and Neighborhood Affairs Director, at aswan@temple.edu or at 215-204-7409. Please also contact Swan if you would like to serve as a volunteer at Girard College. Transportation will be provided via shuttle bus.

Activities are also planned for Ambler Campus students. Contact Dr. Wanda Lewis Campbell at wlewisc@temple.edu for more information about the plans for the Ambler community.