Alexandria, Va. (Jan. 16, 2019) - This month, the 10th Annual MLK Day of Service won’t be a day “off” at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) – it’s a day “on” filled with community service and helping residents of the D.C. Metro-area. On Jan. 21 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. NOVA’s Center for Design, Media and the Arts, located at 3301 Netherton Drive in Alexandria, VA, will be a gathering spot for staff, students, friends, and family members to participate in projects that will benefit students, Alexandria residents and the homeless population.

NOVA’s partners in this day of service include the NOVA Financial Stability Program, NOVA Student Life, Volunteer Alexandria, and the Linus Project. This years’ service projects include:

● The Linus Project (Kids 7+) - Volunteers will be creating sew-less blankets for children in local hospitals and Title I schools.

● Kindness Rocks (Kids 4-7) - Participants will be painting kindness rocks to bring back to local neighborhoods.

● Green Bag Food Sort - To support local campus pantries, volunteers will be sorting donated food to re-distribute to NOVA’s six campuses.

● Toiletry Kits - Participants will sort and create toiletry kits for the local homeless population.

● Emergency Preparedness Kits - Volunteer Alexandria will be partnering with NOVA to create emergency preparedness kits to distribute within the Alexandria community.

Organizers are also collecting socks for local homeless shelters and participants are asked to bring new socks with them to the event. Individuals who donate socks will receive a free T-shirt, while supplies last.

To prepare for the big day, NOVA has launched a college-wide campaign focused on item-specific donations for each of its locations. The following campuses are collecting the items listed below:

● Alexandria Campus - ready-to-eat meals

● Annandale Campus - feminine hygiene products

● Brault/Pender Campus - shampoo and conditioner

● Loudoun Campus - cereal and oatmeal

● Manassas Campus - toothpaste and toothbrushes

● Medical Education Campus (MEC) - toiletries

● Pender Campus - granola bars and fruit cups

● Woodbridge Campus - pasta and sauce

Last year, more than 300 NOVA students, faculty, staff and community members worked together during the MLK National Day of Service, packaging more than 30,000 items to distribute to underserved populations.

“We expect another great turnout again this year,” says Kirstin Riddick, Technology Innovation in Learning and Teaching Coordinator for NOVA. “Every year, our campuses and our partners are committed to making each MLK Day celebration more than just a holiday; we want it to be a meaningful reminder of Dr. King’s work and of the need to continue in his legacy of service to others. We’re excited to host this year’s events, and we think it will be a joyful day for everyone who volunteers and for those who benefit from our efforts.”

In its 10 years of participating in the National Day of Service, NOVA has partnered with a variety of nonprofit organizations and encouraged students and the local community to volunteer each year. To date, more than 2,500 students, faculty, staff, and local community members have participated in the National MLK Day of Service.

To register for the Jan. 21, 2019, MLK Day volunteer events, please go to: http://bit.ly/NOVAMLKday10

Story Source: Kirstin Riddick, Coordinator, Technology Innovation in Learning and Teaching, NOVA | kriddick@nvcc.edu | (703) 933-3998 or (973) 641-0585

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