By DONOVAN HARRELL

Pitt volunteers will soon participate in various civic service activities on the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, which will take place Jan. 21.

The day of service has drawn roughly 900 participants in previous years, said Shenay Jeffrey, assistant director for the Office of PittServes. She has been a part of Pitt for four years.

Jeffrey said the day of service allows participants to help honor King’s legacy.

“On MLK Day, it’s a great time to give back to the community,” Jeffery said. “It’s a day on, not a day off. So we believe in really upholding the embodiment of what Dr. King stood for, which is bringing people together in a great way, which is community.”

Participants can expect to clean, paint, organize and refurbish indoor areas, visiting veterans and more, Jeffrey said.

Pitt will partner with the YMCA, Lawrenceville United, Bible Center Church in Homewood, Carnegie Boys & Girls Club and various other organizations.

“This is important for the Pitt community because as the family and community of Pitt we stand to strengthen communities,” Jeffrey said. “This includes our own community and also surrounding communities and really getting involved working alongside community members in various aspects.”

The deadline to sign up for the day of service is Jan. 14. The day of service begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. To sign up, visit PittServes’ website.

Other MLK-related events

Interfaith service, 6 p.m. Jan. 22, Heinz Chapel: The Office of Cross Cultural and Leadership Development, the Office of Interfaith Dialogue and Engagement and the University Association of Chaplaincies will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through music, singing, dancing and spoken word.

MLK Social Justice Symposium, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 24, University Club: The Office of Cultural and Leadership Development is partnering with Student Affairs Committee on Diversity and Inclusion for this year’s social justice symposium — “Creating a Just Community by Making the Unconscious Conscious.”  The symposium for faculty and staff asks participants to recognize their biases and learn learn how it can affect their colleagues and students. Topics include: Disability, political, racial and gender bias, as well as bias in the workplace. RSVP by Jan. 12 by completing the online form.

Donovan Harrell is a writer for the University Times. Reach him at dharrell@pitt.edu or 412-383-9905.