On Friday, Jan. 13, 2023 members of the University of South Florida (USF) Judy Genshaft Honors College on the Sarasota-Manatee campus gathered in the main rotunda to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with an act of service. In partnership with the Office of Multicultural Affairs, students gathered and sorted personal hygiene items, then formed an assembly line to create hygiene kits that were donated to the Salvation Army of Sarasota County and Turning Points of Manatee County. Each kit featured shampoo, soap, deodorant, and razors, along with some snacks and hand sanitizer. Sarasota County and Turning Points provide these kits to county residents seeking support to find stable housing. This is the second year of the community partnership.
“Everybody can be great ... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Service is a key aspect of the college’s core value of engaged citizenship. "USF has a long history of doing service around the holiday to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and to build those competencies of service with our students," said Assistant Dean of the Judy Genshaft Honors College at USF Sarasota-Manatee, Cayla Lanier. Since the Sarasota-Manatee campus does not yet have residential space, the campus rotunda plays an important role in bringing students together for social and philanthropic activities. Students stop by on the way in and out of the building to engage with faculty, staff, and their peers. “Bringing service into the forefront of the physical space ensures service activities are kept at the forefront of the student experience,” adds Lanier.
It feels really good to be able to do something so quick, that helps so much," said Dylan Schmucker, an Honors student majoring in biology. In just under an hour, the students created over 100 personal hygiene kits. Lanier joined Darren Gambrell, associate director for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to deliver the bags to the Salvation Army and Turning Points.