Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to helping others in his community and on Feb. 7, students at SUNY Oswego joined together for a day of service in honor of him.

The Office of Sustainability and the Community Engagement office joined together to create several workshops where students could work together to give back to the the Town of Oswego.

“This year it was really a focus of the planning committe to want us to impact our own community,” Jenn Joyce, Community Engagement and Service-Learning Coordinator said.

People from all over campus, such as sports teams, Greek life and individuals, joined together to help make this day of service a success. There were several areas around the Marano Campus Center students could go to, such as making reusable period products on the second floor or hand knitting blankets for the elderly in the lounge above the food court. One big hit that students seemed to like was the building birdhouses room. Students were given the opportunity to make a birdhouse from scratch, measuring, cutting and nailing the wood themselves.

“I hope students walked away feeling capable and inspired by what they were able to accomplish,” Maxon Ali, a leader in the Office of Sustainability said. “I also hope they gained confidence in their hands-on work, in collaborating with peers and in understanding that creative problem-solving and teamwork can lead to meaningful outcomes.”

The MLK Day of Service celebrated their 37th annual event this year. The day of service coincided with a keynote event the night before where the legacy of Dr. King was discussed.

“A couple things [have] changed here and there, but the main purpose is to tell people about and make sure they understand the legacy of MLK,” Joyce said.

A big focus on the event this year was sustainability. Everything that was made during the event was done so with used materials or materials that could be used again. Dog toys and period products were made with old t-shirts as the fabric. The power tools used for the birdhouses were solar powered.

“Building bluebird houses using only solar-powered tools allowed them [the students] to see sustainability in action rather than a hard-to-reach concept,” Ali said. “An event like this helps people see that their choices and actions matter. It makes sustainability feel accessible and practical, showing that renewable energy and conservation can be integrated into everyday activities.”

Joyce believes that the impact of the event is beneficial for both students and the community. She knows that students will be able to get a better understanding of the community they live in by showing up for it.

“It’s not only impacting the community, so community organizations…that are kind of getting lifted off the curb, may not have the manpower so what can we do as a group of students to help out with something that they need?” Joyce said. “Fixing that need for them, doesn’t turn into a need anymore, and then you have hours of impact that the students are actually completing.”

Ali believes that events like this one can help spark an interest in something that a student may not have known about before.

“For many participants, the experience can spark curiosity, build skills and encourage a greater sense of responsibility toward the environment and their community,” Ali said.

The MLK day of service will return next year to continue to help the local Oswego community. The Office of Sustainability has several more outreach opportunities throughout the semester, like on Arbor Day.