For two dozen Bellarmine students, a day away from classes on Monday was an opportunity to leave campus and make a difference in Louisville during the Martin Luther King Day of Service.
Students volunteered their time at three local nonprofit organizations: the Presbyterian Community Center, the Nazareth Home and Gilda's Club Louisville.
At Gilda's Club -- which offers support to people living with cancer, along with their families and friends -- a group of students and staff from Bellarmine crafted homemade cards. Throughout the year, the cards are personalized and mailed to club members to celebrate their birthdays or offer encouragement after a setback battling the disease.
Taylor Shaw, a sophomore psychology and criminal justice major from Elizabethtown, Ky., hadn't heard of Gilda's Club before she saw a campus e-mail encouraging students to volunteer on the MLK Day of Service.
"I think it's great here," said Shaw as she stamped a design onto a greeting card. "I think the cards are awesome. I love to volunteer and I like to see how the Louisville community gives back. Since I hadn't been here before, I wanted to see what I could do to help."
Longtime Gilda's Club volunteer Sandy Schroerlucke appreciated the extra hands that Bellarmine students provided on Monday, and said their efforts would be appreciated by members battling cancer. "When you receive a card, you know that somebody spent time making the card for you," she said. "It means a lot."
By volunteering their time on Monday, Bellarmine students were among hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens in all 50 states taking part in the 25th annual
MLK Day of Service, celebrating the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
More information on the organizations supported by Bellarmine students: