Every year ULM celebrates Martin Luther King Day of Service by donating to those in need.

This year, boxes were set up all around campus for people to donate to the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana. 

Items donated ranged from canned soup to toothbrushes.

Volunteering students will help collect the items and take them to the food bank on Jan. 18.

CAB is one of the RSOs participating in the donation.

John McKeel, the president of CAB, said his organization decided that since they have the ability to help out, they should.

“Our community is very important to ULM, which means it is important to CAB,” McKeel said.

McKeel said it’s important for students to volunteer, donate and realize that not everyone has the same resources they do.

“ULM is comprised of thousands of students,” McKeel said. “This means that if every student were to only donate one item towards the drive, we would be overflowing with donations. Those who are less fortunate than we are benefit from our help.”

Pamela Saulsberry, the director of the School of Behavioral Sciences, always organizes MLK Day of Service at ULM.

The first year, ULM donated playground equipment to an elementary school.

They’ve also donated supplies to Granny Goins Kitchen and clothes to Wellspring for survivors of relationship violence.

“The MLK Holiday commemorates an American whose life was about helping people in ways that benefited the common good,” Saulsberry said. “I believe what we do each year for the MLK Holiday benefits the common good in our immediate area.”

She also said it’s important for students to learn about the needs of the community, especially now.

“I believe everything we do for others, we do for ourselves,” Saulsberry said. “When we make a person’s life better, we make society better.”