Limestone Students Honor Legacy Of MLK, Jr. With Day Of Service & Meal Deliveries

Limestone University students found a way to make an impact on hunger in the community Monday while honoring the legacy of civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Students prepared and delivered meals to 400 homebound residents for Cherokee County Meals on Wheels. The food was prepared by Limestone food service provider Sodexo.

Limestone students covered a total of 24 delivery routes for Meals on Wheels since the local charity typically closes for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

The service project was organized by the University’s chaplain and Director of ADAMAH Christian Leadership program Dr. Tom LeGrand.

Many of the volunteers were students from his Religion 204 and English 105 courses as well as ADAMAH. Other students involved in the Meals on Wheels partnership represented the Student Government Association, Honors College, and several Saints athletic teams.

The community service project was done by Limestone University students and staff as a “Day of Service” in observance of Martin Luther King Jr., Day. A group of ADAMAH students did some cleanup work at the University’s Swofford Chapel late Monday morning and planned to do additional projects today.

“Dr. King continues to have a tremendous impact on me,” LeGrand said. “He left a massive legacy for all of us. Serving others is a part of that legacy and we can all take that to heart. Meals on Wheels feeds as many as 400 people a day in this county. Limestone loves being a part of that. And we want our students to take that experience to learn more about why people in our community are hungry. And then figure out what we can do to change that.”

Limestone track and field athletes arrived at 9 a.m. to begin meal packaging under the direction of Sodexo dining service staff. There was friendly banter as the students tracked other group’s progress in filling the meal containers.

“Just like track and field athletes to be competing while packaging food,” Limestone assistant track and field coach Marcia Williams joked Monday.

Limestone sports teams spread out across Cherokee County to deliver routes for Meals on Wheels. Along with providing hot meals, the student-athletes provide a welfare check for residents who rely on the meal service every week.

“It’s always an honor to be a small part of this huge service project that Limestone University Athletics puts together,” Cherokee County Meals on Wheels Assistant Director Jennifer Robbins said. “The neat thing about today is that students are getting an experience that they may not have had before. Some of these students will return to their hometowns and get involved with their local Meals on Wheels, and that impact is much bigger than just our community.”

(Article & photo by Scott Powell, The Gaffney Ledger, January 20, 2023)