Students provide their elbow grease on MLK Day of Service

Hundreds of students from schools across the Archdiocese of New Orleans offered volunteer service Jan. 20 at 16 different sites on the Martin Luther King Day of Service.

The students here helped prepare and sort groceries at Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana. Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans coordinated the day.

Some other volunteer tips
    1. Find out what items a food pantry needs most, collect and deliver them to the center, and stay to help fill boxes for distribution.
    2. Help prepare and serve meals at a soup kitchen.
    3. Hold a clean-up day at a public park or beach.
    4. Paint a mural at a daycare center for children and gather arts and crafts supplies for the center.
    5. Recruit student crews to clean houses, do simple home repairs or run errands for elderly citizens.
    6. Collect gently used blankets and warm clothing to donate to a homeless shelter.
    7. Create “Socks of Love” for shelters. Fill a sock with soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, etc., add the other sock and tie with a ribbon.
    8. Organize a fun run, bike race, walk-a-thon, bowl-a-thon or dance-a-thon for an organization or family in need.
    9. Plan and build a nature trail and invite the community to an inaugural trail walk.
    10. Clean up a run-down playground or conduct a fund-raising campaign to buy new playground equipment.