The municipality’s second annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service welcomed 200 volunteers of all ages. Participants filled Mt. Lebanon High School’s Fine Arts Theater lobby and service sites across the South Hills this morning for a day of community service.

Organized by the Civic Engagement Advisory Board (CEB), the Day of Service ran from 9 a.m. to noon at the high school (since the municipal building reached capacity last year with over 100 participants). The event honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy through hands-on projects that support local organizations.

“We needed more space for all the people who want to help and serve, and I think that’s a really beautiful thing about Mt. Lebanon,” said Kelsey Leigh, board member and event chair.

After brief opening remarks from Rev. Noah Evans of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, chair of the CEB, Commissioner Andrew Flynn and Leigh, volunteers dispersed to their assigned locations. Some traveled to service sites across the region, while others remained at the high school for indoor projects.

“King said, ‘Everybody can be great because everyone can serve.’ That statement is powerful. It dismantles the myth that we often hear — that to be great you need to be famous, or wealthy or powerful,” Evans said during the opening remarks. “Greatness doesn’t require any of that. Greatness is something that you and I can do by serving.”

Offsite projects included:

• Calling bingo and serving lunch at Asbury Heights
• Organizing donations for St. Vincent de Paul
• Cleaning and organizing a classroom at a new preschool at Holy Cross Episcopal
• Assembling sandwiches for Second Avenue Commons and Light of Life
• Preparing a warm meal for the Neighborhood Resilience Project (assembled at St. Paul’s Church for later delivery)
• Painting, walking dogs and organizing at South Hills Pet Rescue
• Organizing and cleaning at Dormont Food Pantry

Projects at the high school included:

• Assembling hygiene kits for Global Links
• Creating Valentine’s cards for seniors
• Participating in a winter seed-sowing workshop led by Mt. Lebanon Nature Conservancy

The Global Links project combined fundraising, volunteer assembly and student leadership. Fundraising for the hygiene kits was led by Mt. Lebanon High School senior, Eleanor Schulte-Albert, and junior board member of the CEB, with support from social studies teacher Julianne Slogick.

“I wanted to do something that would connect the high school and the municipality,” Eleanor Schulte-Albert said. “So I decided to start the fundraiser for Global Links.”

The fundraiser, held during homeroom the week before the event, raised $700 and allowed volunteers to assemble more than 50 personal care kits filled with items such as deodorant, toothbrushes and shampoo. An incentive offering donuts to the homeroom that raised the most money helped boost participation.

Schulte-Albert recruited student volunteers through school announcements, posters and outreach within the Global Studies Club. “A lot of people in the club are interested in community service and volunteering events,” she said. “High schoolers are always kind of looking for volunteer hours or just something to get involved with.”

Leigh emphasized that the impact of MLK Day of Service extends beyond a single day. For example, during the Mt. Lebanon Nature Conservancy seed-sowing workshop, participants planted native seeds in recycled containers while learning how the plants will support local pollinators, birds and wildlife when planted in the spring or early summer. Volunteers could take the seedlings home or return in June to help plant them in Mt. Lebanon parks.

“Projects completed this morning directly support local partners,” Leigh explained. “The exposure often leads to long-term volunteer relationships that continue throughout the year.”

This story was updated on January 21 to reflect the final number of participating volunteers.