NPC Students Honor Martin Luther King Jr. By Serving

Faculty, staff, and students volunteer at the Jackson House on MLK DayNational Park College (NPC) faculty, staff, and students volunteered at the Eleanor Klugh Jackson House Monday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The volunteers represented different groups on campus including the Honors Program, Student Government and Phi Theta Kappa.

Jackson House is a private, nonprofit tax-deductible organization that is funded solely by local donations. They offer emergency assistance with food, clothing and shelter, and medicine. Katherine McCorkle an NPC student and staff member states, “My husband and I are grateful that we had the opportunity to represent NPC and to serve others through the Jackson House in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s honor. To quote Dr. King, ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?’ Serving in this way changes your perspective. Everyone can fall on hard times and we can all help in some way.”

Melissa Krafft, NPC staff member and alumnus, says she holds on to a particular quote from Dr. King. Dr. King stated, “Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” Krafft added, “Right now we live in a divided nation where looking the other way is easy. Not truly seeing those around us is simple. I choose to see, I choose love, and I choose a heart full of grace.”

Pictured left to right on the back row is Nannette Crane-Post, Jared Homishak and Cory Morris, in the middle row is Katherine McCorkle, Mark McCorkle, and Alan Robinette and the front row is Melissa Krafft.