By Marc Larocque

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, about 150 Northeastern students, alumni and faculty were not about to stay home from work. They were deployed from campus to serve the nearby communities.

“Martin Luther King spoke about serving mankind,” said Rebecca Morton, a junior anthropology major who organized the event. The annual volunteer event held by the Center of Community Service (CoCS) achieved 720 total hours of painting buildings, organizing, teaching, reading for children and feeding homeless people.

Volunteers worked with nine community partners. Some went to HEARTH, which houses homeless elderly people. Others helped at places like New Mission High School; Mission Hill School; Jumpstart, a nonprofit promoting youth literacy; Spontaneous Celebrations, an arts and education group; Boston Rescue Mission, a local food pantry; and shelters like St. Francis House and St. Ambroe Family Shelter.

“MLK Day of Service is a wonderful tradition at Northeastern University,” said Sara DeRitter, assistant director and program coordinator at the CoCS. “I was delighted to see so many students wake up and volunteer their time, especially on a day when they could have slept in.” The volunteers also ran errands and played games with the elderly residents at the Morville House, an assisted living facility that currently consists of 146 rental apartments for low-income seniors and disabled people. Then, they served them lunch.

“I think that volunteering and engaging in community projects is a fitting tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. King,” DeRitter said.

For more information about volunteering in neighboring communities through Northeastern, contact the CoCS at 617-373-5809.