UMKC, in partnership with the YMCA, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and Rockhurst University, will host its second annual MLK Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 16. Join us as we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Explore fun activities and great discussion on communicating respectfully in a diverse world.
The event is free and food will be provided. At Least 75 volunteers are needed from UMKC.
A schedule of events for the day is as follows:
Noon –12:30 p.m. – Registration and Lunch
12:30 – 12:45 p.m. – Welcome
12:45 – 2 p.m. – Activities
2 – 3 p.m. – Diversity Discussion led by UMKC Diversity & Inclusion
Volunteers will have the option to participate in three out of five different activities:
- Survival Kits donated to homeless shelter in KC
- Canvas Paintings to be donated to Ronald McDonald House of KC
- Flower Pots – decorate mini flower pots to be donated to Women’s Shelter in KC
- Paper Flower Power – positive messages written to LGBTQ youth of Passages
- Letter Decorations – describe what the letter means to you and hang up at YMCA
Click here to sign up to volunteer.
Please bring donations for survival kits – travel size hygiene items are requested. Donations can be dropped off at the Linwood Family YMCA, 3221 Indiana Ave, Kansas City, MO 64128, by Friday, Jan. 14.
Questions can be emailed to Dr. Angela Cottrell, UMKC Manager for Student Conduct and Division Initiatives.
Students, faculty and staff from UMKC will be partnering with the Kansas City chapter of the Human Rights Campaign on a Day of Service for the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday on Jan. 18.
This effort will provide sack lunches and personal care packages for homeless people; donations in advance are encouraged.
The UMKC campus will be closed for the holiday, but the partnership is designed to give the UMKC community an opportunity to “take the day on, not off.” The local effort is part of a nationwide volunteer effort led by the Human Rights Campaign, with activities in 20 cities.
In each of the communities, HRC and local partners are working together to address the challenge of LGBT youth homelessness. According to a study by the Williams Institute, The Palette Fund, and the True Colors Fund, LGBT youth make up to 40 percent of homeless and at-risk youth. Also, according to a study by Center for American Progress, LGBT youth are eight times more likely to commit suicide if rejected by family members.
In Kansas City, UMKC volunteers and other community members will assemble sack lunches and personal care packages for distribution to homeless people, working with Neighbor 2 Neighbor, an organization that provides food 365 days a year to anyone in need in the Kansas City area. The volunteer effort will run from noon to 3 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Mary Kelly Center, 2803 E. 51st St. Pizza will be served to the volunteers. Volunteers, from UMKC or throughout the community, can sign up for the event at www.hrc.org/mlkkansascity.
The project is also collecting donations of food and personal care items in advance of the holiday event. People can purchase items through an Amazon Wish List at https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/8KYFG4CRI8RG/ref=cm_sw_su_w or drop off donations at Neighbor 2 Neighbor through Jan. 15 at 500 W. 40th St., Kansas City, Mo., during the following hours:
- Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- Sunday: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Need a break from studying this week for finals? Check out Stress Less Fest–starting today with a Holiday Hustle at Swinney Recreation Center (interval training to get your heart pumping for a good reason). Other events include a healing arts workshop, massages, cuddling with puppies, Wind Down Wednesday, and the popular Late Night Breakfast. Click on the poster for more details.
Also note — extended hours at the Union and the Miller Nichols Library to meet your late-night study needs.
Good luck and don’t forget to take care of yourself!
Registration is open for the “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” fundraiser on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015. “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” asks men to walk a mile in women’s high-heeled shoes.
Walking in women’s shoes helps men better understand and appreciate women’s experiences, thus changing perspectives, helping improve gender relationships and decreasing the potential for violence.
The march will be at the University Playhouse, 51st Street and Holmes Street. The event will kick off at 5:30 p.m., the march will start at 6 p.m. and the meal will be at 6:30 p.m. All proceeds benefit the UMKC Women’s Center and the UMKC Violence Prevention and Response Program.
Registration is required here.
For more information, contact the UMKC Women’s Center at 816-235-1638
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