SCC honors Martin Luther King Jr. through volunteerism and celebration service
Southeastern Community College partnered with Facts of Life Church’s food distribution center in Tabor City for a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service event on Jan. 21. SCC provided volunteers to unload trucks, make food bags, break down boxes, restock shelves and load vehicles with food. The idea for an MLK Day of Service started with SCC’s Dean of Student Services Colene Faulk and was put into motion by SCC’s Student Engagement Coordinator Katie Floyd.
“I wanted SCC to do a Day of Service because MLK focused on service,” Faulk said. “The dream is big, and the partnership with Facts of Life Church was huge. Being able to help in the process of packing food and giving it to people in our community was a great opportunity for us to give back and show service.”
Splitting the volunteer opportunity into two shifts, the first shift worked to pack canned goods, packaged foods, meats and produce into plastic bags. The second shift worked to place packed bags into vehicles as they lined up next to the distribution center building in a drive-through order.
“This meaningful service opportunity emphasized the importance of action, compassion and community involvement as central to Dr. King’s message,” Floyd said. “With volunteers ranging from SCC employees, students, AmeriCorps Seniors and campus clubs including SCC Ambassadors, Student Government Association and Campus Crusade for Christ, this Day of Service was a powerful way of celebrating unity.”
Coordinating the efforts of Facts of Life Church, Pastor Daisy Brooks said that food donations from Whiteville’s Walmart and Columbus County’s four Food Lion locations were delivered to the distribution center. She said there was an “amazing turnout” of volunteers from SCC, and she said that “’it takes a whole community to take care of a community.”
“It’s our job as Christians along with partners and neighbors to supply food for people who need it,” Brooks said. “No food goes to waste, and we partnered with local hog farms to compost any produce that’s gone bad. We need more volunteers here like this today to make sure everything gets done.”
SCC’s Adult Learner and CRM Coordinator Jessica McDowell said she volunteered at the food distribution center because “there’s so many people struggling with a lack of food, and I like to give back to the community.” She was unaware of Facts of Life Church’s other outreach ministries with the soup kitchen and warming center in Whiteville, and she is interested in “providing more hands to get things done faster” at those locations.
Celebration service
In honor of MLK Day, SCC also partnered with the Columbus County DREAM Center, the NAACP and Columbus Regional Healthcare System to host a weeklong celebration of MLK Day events that included a walk, documentary screening and several church services. One of those events was an MLK Day celebration service that featured keynote speaker Marcus Bass in the SCC auditorium on Jan. 20.
SGA vice-president Isaiah Johnson read the “I, Too” poem by Langston Hughes, and SGA president Trinity Fowler introduced Bass to the audience. Bass was described as a dedicated civic leader, strategist and advocate for systemic change in North Carolina. He serves as the deputy director of North Carolina Black Alliance and as executive director of Advance Carolina.
Bass is a Sampson County native, and he graduated from North Carolina A&T State University. Bass was recently appointed as chair of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission for North Carolina, and he serves as the vice-president of his chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
“Today represents a unique opportunity for Southeastern Community College, this community and this county to consider the significance of the morning after,” Bass said. “There’s something to be said about the morning after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day because in a lot of ways, we are not here because of the decisions we made but because of the morning after.”
Bass challenged the audience to examine the beliefs, ideals and efforts of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and legacy. With the celebrations, marches, dinners and services held in King’s honor leading up to MLK Day, Bass asked the audience to consider and practice King’s vision the day after the holiday and beyond.
Floyd said that hosting this event “reflects SCC’s commitment to fostering dialogue and meaningful learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom.” She explained that Bass’ “inspiring message of encouraging civic engagement, leadership and unity reinforces the importance of Dr. King’s vision today.”
