Oxford College volunteers brave the cold to serve in honor of MLK Day

On Jan. 20, more than 60 Oxford College students, staff and community members bundled up against the cold to help several community partners during Emory’s annual MLK Day of Service.

“With temperatures forecast to be in the 20s, we pivoted our two outdoor projects,” says Megan Hulgan, Oxford’s assistant director of Student Involvement, Leadership and Transitions (SILT). “Instead of removing invasive plants from the trail behind the Oxford College Organic Farm, our volunteers worked inside the farm greenhouse to support the farm’s production of native plants. At Best Friends Farm, a local animal sanctuary, students assisted with tasks in the barn and in the chicken coop.”

Students and staff also served behind the scenes at Giving Hands Food Pantry and the Salvation Army by cleaning, organizing and sorting donations. 

“Salvation Army volunteers prepped hundreds of articles of clothing to be sold at the thrift store or given to our neighbors in need free of charge,” Hulgan says. They also learned about services the Salvation Army offers to unhoused neighbors, individuals affected by the justice system and others.

Farmer/educator Daniel Parson had ample tasks to keep the Oxford Organic Farm volunteers busy, despite the change in plans. Students made potting soil, tidied the greenhouse, trimmed and prepped native plants that were already growing, and planted 10 flats of native seeds so that more can be grown.

“Our native plant program is an important part of the farm by providing pest control and increasing biodiversity,” Parson explains. “We are able to sell some of the plants, getting them into the community and providing funding for our activities. We also partner with the City of Oxford on their right-of-way meadows, so some of the plants may end up there.”

Although the day was cold enough to quickly freeze any water outside, Oxford Farm volunteers spent much of their time in the greenhouse — where it was a warm 70 degrees.

After their shifts were complete, volunteers gathered for lunch and post-event reflections.

“We swapped stories of the work we completed and the local issues we learned about,” Hulgan says. “We concluded with reflection on how we can engage in the ongoing work to reach Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community.

“Our community is committed to the environmental justice missions of these organizations,” she adds. “I’m not surprised that students, staff and campus partners got their hands dirty and supported this work despite the below-freezing temperatures.”