Walsh University commemorated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with service activities that benefited the entire Stark County community on Monday, January 20. Marking one of the largest service days in the country, more than 300 Walsh volunteers, including students, athletic teams, faculty and staff members, partnered with community organizations to address topics that ranged from homelessness, hunger, compassionate care and mentorship.
Organized by Campus Ministry, Walsh Athletics and the Office of Experiential Learning, Walsh students volunteered throughout the day with sites that included Massillon Boys & Girls Club, Louisville YMCA, St. Joseph’s Soup Kitchen in Massillon and the Valentine Project in Alliance.
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In addition, the first year students in the Leaders in Social Justice cohort participated in a weekend Canton Immersion program. This experience provides students with opportunities for strengthening community, reflection, and local action in the spirit of MLK Jr. The Canton Immersion is an annual program developed in collaboration with long-time Walsh partner Lighthouse Ministries with Executive Director Darin Nissley coordinating much of the weekend’s content.
The Immersion serves as a time for students to learn about and explore the Canton community. Students stayed at Lighthouse and engaged with the community during the day. This year, students heard from a variety of speakers and participated in a community partner “round robin” where they visited nonprofits to learn about ways they can be involved throughout their time at Walsh. On Sunday morning, students assembled blessing bags that will be used in Stark County’s annual Point in Time Count Housing survey.
“Spending this past weekend at Lighthouse Ministries was a wonderful opportunity to learn about so many different members of the community,” said Stephanie Barrett. “We not only got to learn about what these people went through but we also saw what the conditions were like. We have communicated with numerous nonprofits to see what change we as a group and Leaders can bring to the community. I would like to have the Leaders in Social Justice come together and work with the Canton Calvary Mission, Habitat for Humanity and other organizations to help build a strong foundation and secure spaces for families to raise their children.”
