Winter break is over and Stockton is back for another semester! In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Stockton hosted its annual “Day of Service” for students, faculty, family, friends, and community members to come together and participate in various projects to help and give back to the people of South Jersey. Stockton offered over 12 projects on the Galloway Campus, with additional projects taking place off-campus in Galloway, Atlantic City, Hammonton, and Woodbine.

President Joe Bertolino attended the event, marking his first MLK Day of Service as Stockton’s President. Many students from local high schools and middle schools in the Galloway and Atlantic City areas were invited to participate. “I was incredibly impressed by the scale of Stockton’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and the dedicated members of the Stockton community who have organized this event for 20 years,” Bertolino said. “I had a wonderful time visiting a number of the service projects and connecting with so many individuals who came out to volunteer,” he added.

Absegami’s Interact Club, a program for middle and high-school aged children to engage in service projects and build leadership skills, also participated in the event. The club members were able to build connections and meet new people by participating in the event at Stockton.

Many student organizations at Stockton organized service projects on campus. The Stockton Honors Program gave out plastic eggs, coloring pages, and construction paper with markers and crayons for three different projects; making cat toys for a homeless shelter, donating to Color A Smile, and making cards and letters for the elderly. Los Latinos Unidos brought school supplies to make pencil cases for local students in need of supplies. The Active Minds and Social Work Clubs, along with co-ed service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, crafted buttons with positive affirmations, as well as offering rock painting for a calming and therapeutic activity in the Coffee House.

The Multicultural Center, which was opened last year, also hosted service projects with a few Divine Nine fraternities and sororities. Many alumni came to Stockton to participate in the event. They made bags out of old shirts, pet beds, and birthday kits. With the cozy, close atmosphere in the Center, it was easy for volunteers to bond and make new connections while feeling at home on a winter’s day.

Isabella Steelman, an active Honor Student and member of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, commented, “It’s great to bring awareness to the MLK Day of Service and seeing the community involvement, it’s nice to see how people come together.” She is a junior Economics and Literature major.

Taylor Dulemba, the Coordinator of Service-Learning from the Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning, was in charge of this year’s Day of Service. “We had a great turnout this year,” Dulemba stated. “We hope that all participants and volunteers had a meaningful, impactful experience with the projects they assisted with. It was a great success, and we look forward to all the other projects that are to come throughout the year.” In encouraging people to sign up next year, she described MLK Day of Service as a “great, impactful day for individuals within the local community to be involved, and serve in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We give back to the community, provide resources, and provide a meaningful experience for all those involved.”

With the start of the semester comes new opportunities to serve and build leadership skills and experience, as well as new jobs! Come and meet us at the Get Involved Fair on January 23rd and 24th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. if you are interested in a position in the Argo Newspaper!