Baker College offers blood drive, service projects on MLK Day Jan. 19

Baker College of Flint will commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 19, with five hours of community service projects in which the public is invited to participate. There will also be a blood drive.

Activities will be ongoing from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Baker College Student Center. The blood drive, through Michigan Blood, will by in the Gym, noon to 5 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome.

Volunteers for the community service projects have the option of helping make:

· Paracord survival bracelets for service members stationed overseas through Operation Gratitude. Made of parachute cord, these bracelets are a convenient way for service members to have easy access to eight feet of lightweight nylon rope for various purposes.

· No-sew, fleece blankets for the Flushing Chapter of Project Linus, a not-for-profit organization, to distribute to children in Genesee County.

· Sleeping mats made of crocheted plastic shopping bags for the homeless. Catholic Charities will distribute the finished mats.

“These fun activities are for great causes and are a fitting tribute to the legacy of Dr. King,” said Maureen Miller, director of health & fitness and student clubs coordinator at Baker College of Flint. She is coordinator of the Baker College MLK Day of Service.

Plastic grocery bags are needed for the sleeping mat project. Clean, used bags can be dropped off at the Baker College Fitness Center, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. A $500 grant from the Michigan Nonprofit Association is helping fund the other projects.

The paracord survival bracelet project is organized by the College Town Collaborative, a group dedicated to community service and engaging students from the five colleges and universities in Flint, of which Baker College of Flint is one. All College Town Collaborative members will have bracelet construction events on their campuses Jan. 19.

Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult while they are on campus.

Since passage of federal legislation in 1994 that designated a national Martin Luther King Day of Service, the holiday has been transformed into a day of citizen action volunteer service in honor of Dr. King.

For more information about the MLK Day of Service activities at Baker College of Flint, contact the admissions office at 810.766.4000 or jodi.cuneaz@baker.edu.

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It serves more than 28,000 students on multiple campuses and online. Baker grants certificates and associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 150 programs across diverse academic fields, including business, health sciences, engineering, information technology, education and human services. An impressive 97 percent of available graduates are employed. Every Baker graduate receives Lifetime Employment Assistance—free and forever. Baker is a pioneer in online education and offers students the option of completing a degree 100 percent online, without ever visiting a campus. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.