Wittenberg’s Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Civic & Urban Engagement recently received funding through ServeOhio, the governor-appointed commission on service and volunteerism, to support the 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. service project.
The event will take place at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16, in Geil Lounge of the Benham-Pence Student Center and feature 50 volunteers gathering supplies to assist community partners in addressing community needs.
The Hagen Center was one of only 21 Ohio nonprofits across the state to receive the grant through ServeOhio.
“The Hagen Center is relaunching the MLK Day of Service this year thanks to generous funding from ServeOhio. This year's event follows the theme of ‘Imagining Change,’ focusing on how the small practices we can participate in can make big changes in our community,” said Rachel Scherzer, assistant director of the Hagen Center, who was instrumental in securing the funding. “Local partners such as Promise Neighborhood will share their work in the Springfield community, and participants will have the chance to reflect on small steps that create a bigger change. Everyone will then have the chance to participate in several small-scale service projects during the event while launching a semester-long project to ‘Fill-a-Bucket’ with supplies for organizations around town. The project will culminate in our upcoming Passport to Springfield event.”
Much like Dr. King’s legacy, ServeOhio’s grants aim to help nonprofits across the state improve their communities through service and volunteer activities, along with funding service projects in 16 Ohio cities led by more than 1,000 volunteers. Each project commits to bringing volunteers together to create or improve community assets or infrastructure and supports local community engagement and impact. Additionally, every project includes an education component based on Dr. King’s message of peace, unity, and service to create long-term, sustainable change. ServeOhio awards these grants with support from the American Electric Power Foundation.
In addition to these service projects funded by ServeOhio, thousands of individuals across the state will volunteer in their communities on Jan. 16 in remembrance of Dr. King. Volunteers interested in serving in their community this MLK Day or at any time throughout the year can visit ServeOhio’s statewide volunteer engagement platform.
About ServeOhio - ServeOhio, Ohio’s Governor-appointed commission on service and volunteerism, strengthens Ohio communities through AmeriCorps and volunteer engagement and was created to empower local communities to mobilize AmeriCorps members and volunteer resources for the purpose of building a stronger Ohio. Through programs and initiatives funded and supported by ServeOhio, thousands of Ohioans of all ages engage in and are recognized for their service. Interested participants may learn more about ServeOhio at serve.ohio.gov.
