We had such a successful MLK day on
Monday, January 20, 2020,, approximately 125 volunteers gathered at the Old
Fred's Pharmacy
facility in Murray to help build beds for an organization called Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP)-a nonprofit that builds beds for disadvantaged families in Calloway County. The joint volunteer opportunity by the Marvin Mills Multicultural Center at MSU and United Way was conceived as a "hands-on" exercise in making real the promise of "doing more for the least" of our brethren in the community. Expectations were for approximately 60 volunteers to build 10 beds in the 5 hours assigned to accomplish the project. In addition to exceeding the number of volunteers, the group built 43 beds!
Earlier in the day, at an 8:30 AM breakfast, approximately 95 students, faculty and friends gathered to hear a commemorative address by Rev. Henry "Charlie" Sanders, an MSU alumnus and retired Army Colonel. He talked about "being the change you want to see in others" and "loving people when they're acting unlovable." The message was inspiring for the campus group. Immediately after the address, students and faculty delivered goods and personal items, for each of several nonprofits that had exhausted supplies for the needy or their organization. Nearly a ton of goods were distributed to area agencies. By 11:00 AM, the projects began. SLP and Gentry House hosted volunteers to do service projects for individuals in need. The outcomes were dramatic and lasting for volunteers who wanted to show real difference in our community. Truly, the Murray Calloway County community embraced the United Way theme to LIVE UNITED
