SARASOTA – Students at the University of South Florida Sarasota/Manatee campus are commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. day with an act of service to help the homeless.
“It feels really good to be able to do something so quick, that helps so much,” said USF Sarasota/Manatee student, Dylan Schmucker.
Students and staff at the University of South Florida Sarasota/Manatee campus are commemorating the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday with a community service project
“USF often has a long history of doing service around the MLK holiday to celebrate MLK legacy and to build those competencies of service with our students, so today we gathered hygiene items and took donations from around the campus and bagged them up to make kits that we will deliver to local organizations that serve our homeless populations,” said Assistant Dean of the Judy Genshaft Honors College at USF Sarasota/Manatee, Cayla Lanier.
With all hands on deck, the group was able to package more than 100 personal hygiene kits
“From soap and shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant as well as some bottled water and snacks things that are easy for people to take with them on the go, store with their backpacks and take with them so they can use wherever they may be,” said Lanier.
Dylan Schmucker, a junior majoring in biology, is one of the members of the Judy Genshaft Honors College at USF Sarasota/Manatee which values service as one of their core pillars
“I really felt fulfillment, I loved helping the community, as a member of this community I see homeless people all the time just driving around and everything and it feels good to be able to help these people who need it more than I do,” said Schmucker.
Beyond striving in academics, the students say they feel the need to give back to those outside their campus.
“It’s one thing just to get by, but it’s another thing to help others and you should at least try to help others,” said USF Sarasota/Manatee Student, Nicolaas Altizer.
The group was able to package a total of 150 personal hygiene kits to help the homeless at Turning Points and the Salvation Army.