These words by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. captured the essence of the 21st Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service. On Monday, January 18, Cairn students had the opportunity to serve in and around Philadelphia. The University tagline for the day was “Not a day off; a day on!” Many Cairn students, faculty, staff, and alumni joined 135,000 other volunteers around the Philadelphia area to honor Dr. Martin Luther King by serving in various community building projects.
After a short program to remember the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., participants fanned out across Bristol Borough to talk to residents about the importance of giving and handed out invitations for the event. Cairn volunteers were joined by community members, including the former mayor of Bristol Borough and the chief of police. Together, they reached nearly 2,000 homes. The food will be collected on Super Bowl Sunday (February 7th) and distributed to four Bristol food pantries.
While many members of the Cairn community celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, their families were involved as well. Every year on MLK Day of Service, senior Kacie Loucks and her family support Cradles to Crayons, which is one of their favorite local service agencies. The organization provides children from birth through age twelve, living in homelessness or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive — at home, at school, and at play.
Cairn sports teams were also involved in the MLK Day of service. Several members of the baseball team partnered with junior Joey Nieves-Markee’s church, Calvary Full Gospel, for an outreach project in the city of Trenton. They prepared breakfast boxes for homeless and underprivileged people on the streets of Trenton. Along with the breakfast boxes, they handed out water and flyers with information on how to receive more food, clothes, and other resources.
The number of Cairn students, faculty, staff, and even alumni who participated in the 21st Annual MLK Day of Service affirms Cairn’s dedication to serving and building the community. Cairn hopes to continue this tradition of service with even more participation from the student body next year!


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