Some students at the University of North Florida spent the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday picking away at threads from dusty, old airplane seat covers.
In honor of the holiday, the Office of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement hosted drop-in service hours in partnership with Rethreaded, a Jacksonville non-profit gift company that gives jobs to human trafficking survivors. Between 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., students could stop by the Osprey Clubhouse, grab a thread remover, and transform airplane seats into upcycled leather. Eventually, one of Rethreaded’s employees will use the leather to create handbags, wallets, or other apparel for sale.
For many, MLK Day is a day to give back to the community. Every year, OSLCE holds a service day on the federal holiday to commemorate King’s service to the nation.
UNF junior Hannah Wehreng has worked at the office since the beginning of this academic year. Before attending UNF, Wehreng said she became passionate about service by working with the federal volunteering agency, AmeriCorps. She said a lot of community organizations emphasize the importance of MLK Day.
“I feel like the tradition of this being a day of service is sometimes forgotten,” Wehreng said. “And it’s a good tradition.”
While she worked her thread remover under each stitch, Wehreng talked about her love of volunteering. She said volunteering can be a fun way to spend time with friends while also giving back.
UNF sophomore Sofia Bautista also works at the office and volunteered on Monday alongside Wehreng. Bautista said she first discovered OSLCE at its “Love Your Mother” Earth Month festival last April and is looking forward to the event again this year.
MLK service days and the Earth Month festival are both annual events. The date of this year’s Earth Month festival has yet to be announced.
Another volunteer at the event, Lola Kashella, is a UNF senior who said she decided to help out because she didn’t have class. Kashella added that Rethreaded’s mission aligned with her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega’s, philanthropy to prevent domestic violence.
“I thought this was a great way to spend my time on MLK Day. I’m with my sisters, and I made a new friend,” Kashella said, smiling at another volunteer who sat beside her.
Kashella said that she liked the hands-on activity and that she was able to talk with the other volunteers.
For more information about OSLCE events and community service opportunities, visit its website.
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