Sarah Casagrande, Campus Carrier Reporter
On Monday, while everyone celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day, sophomore Phoebe Spahn spent time with a 6-year-old girl who was celebrating her birthday in a homeless shelter.
“She was really excited and wanted everyone to say ‘Happy Birthday’ to her,” Spahn said.
This year was the largest MLK Service Day event Berry has ever held. Over 200 students registered to volunteer. Among them were seven nursing students who were sent to the William S. Davies Homeless Shelter in Rome to assist in the shelter’s operations.
The nursing students set up a table in order to take patrons’ blood pressures and let them weigh themselves. Other volunteer groups in the room set up “grab bags” with hygienic items and distributed coats and other necessities.
“When I found out we were taking vitals, which I didn’t have a lot of experience in, I was nervous about telling someone something wrong,” Spahn said. “But there were other nurses there in case I had any questions.”
Volunteers came from organizations such as Floyd Medical Center, Redmond Regional Medical Center and Georgia Power. According to senior Deanna Perkins, there was even a cosmetology school that volunteered to give patrons haircuts.
“I met a nurse from Redmond who loves to volunteer there because of the patients she sees,” Perkins said. “I was afraid of getting burnt out in the future as a nurse, but she was just full of energy.”
Perkins said that one thing she regretted was not being able to talk to the patrons more due to how busy the shelter was on a holiday.
“I’ve had experience volunteering with homeless shelters before,” Perkins said. “I suppose if it’s less of a special occasion, then there’s more one on one time with people.”
Berry College Volunteer Services coordinates MLK Service Day each year. They organize other volunteer events for the school as well, such as First-Year Service Day and Make a Difference Day.
“It’s hard to keep the volunteer spirit alive when it’s the middle of the year and people are struggling with classes,” Perkins said. “I think people should remember that there’s still a community in need out there.”
