1/11/22 MLK Weekend Update

To: Faculty, Staff, and Students
From: Eddie J. Howard, Ed.D., Vice President for Student Affairs
Date: 1/11/22
Subject: MLK Weekend Update

Hello Norse Nation,

It is with great disappointment that I write to let you know that our annual MLK Day of Service, scheduled for next Monday, January 17^th, has been cancelled. The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus has made it very difficult to safely gather in groups at this time. Thankfully, local healthcare experts believe the current surge in cases will be short-lived, and we will be able to return to what we now consider a more “normal” situation.

Even though we cannot gather as a group and serve our communities, there are several opportunities available for individual service. Below is a list of options for you to consider.

• Smithsonian Museum: Become a Smithsonian Digital Volunteer and help them make historical documents and biodiversity data more accessible. https://transcription.si.edu/ 
• St. Jude: Send free cards to patients of St. Jude's through https://www.stjude.org/get-involved/other-ways/online-card-message-patients.html?sc_icid=impactgiving-sendcard-bttn
• You can find more virtual options at https://www.volunteermatch.org/ and https://americorps.gov/join/find-volunteer-opportunity#/

There are also options for donations if you are unable to serve but still want to participate in some way:

• The King Center: https://thekingcenter.org/
• The Memorial Foundation: https://www.thememorialfoundation.org/
• The National Underground Freedom Center: https://freedomcenter.org/
• Fuel NKU: Monetary donations can be given at https://supportnku.nku.edu/give (select Fuel NKU from drop down). If you have donations, you may drop them off at FUEL NKU during their open hours. 

Finally, the in-person event scheduled for Friday evening, January 14^th, will be limited to the first 50 people who RSVP at: https://tinyurl.com/2v987nay. All others are invited to attend via Zoom using the meeting ID 95267439155.

My hope is that next year we will again be able to join together in service to our community as we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Take care and Go Norse!

Dr. Eddie Howard