Students will team up with local young adults to provide community service as part of the University’s annual volunteer event celebrating the legacy of the slain civil rights leader.

Centenary University has been awarded a $1,000 grant to support the University’s upcoming day of service, held annually to celebrate the legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Administered through Engage NJ, the grant is part of a broader $250,000 initiative funded through AmeriCorps to engage over 15,000 students across 11 states in service of underserved and marginalized individuals and communities on or around Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Centenary is one of nine New Jersey colleges and universities to receive funding through the AmeriCorps Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Grant program. This year to honor Dr. King’s legacy, Centenary students will volunteer on Monday, Jan. 20, from 2-5 pm, at the Weekend Bag Program, Inc., a nonprofit that provides discreet weekend bags with food and essential hygiene supplies to students facing challenges outside of school. The Andover, NJ-based organization partners with school liaisons to prepare and distribute nearly 300 bags each week. Founded by Isobel Costello, who was then a 14-year-old Newton High School freshman, the program is completely confidential. The event is sponsored by the Centenary Civic Engagement Center and the Centenary Hunger Task Force.

The University began collaborating with the Weekend Bag Program last year, sharing donations of hygiene items and co-hosting food drives to support the organization. This year, the University has invited local high school students and youth groups to work alongside Centenary students at the Weekend Bag Program on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

“A central part of the educational experience at Centenary is encouraging our students to build better, more equitable communities,” said Kathleen Greco, dean of student success. “As we go about our daily lives, it’s easy to forget that area young people are facing difficult life circumstances, includinghunger andhomelessness. Through our collaboration with the Weekend Bag Program, Centenary students can help provide young people with basic needs so they can focus on learning, continuing Dr. King’s enduring mission.”

High school students or youth group members who would like to participate in Centenary’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at the Weekend Bag Program should email Kathleen.Greco@CentenaryUniversity.edu

ABOUT CENTENARY UNIVERSITY
Centenary University offers extraordinary learning opportunities that empower students to develop intellectually, emotionally, and interculturally—keys to career and personal success. Under the leadership of President Dale Caldwell, Ed.D., the University aspires to advance its reputation as a world class institution offering innovative programs, including the world’s first Master of Arts in Happiness Studies, to lift the future for our students and local communities.