Claflin tutoring program partners with church for MLK week project
January 17, 2015
ORANGEBURG, SC – As they have done for the past six years, Claflin [University’s] Saturday Academy will partner with the First Baptist Church Soup Kitchen in Orangeburg, feeding both the homeless and families-in-need; and generally lifting the spirits of all during Thursday’s lunch at the soup kitchen, Jan. 22, 2015.
Last year, approximately 150 homeless men, women, and children enjoyed lunch and a pastoral message, and this year’s numbers are expected to be even higher.
“We had about 50-60 people attend when we began this – our annual service project – back in 2009,” says Claflin Saturday Academy Program Director Brad Aull, the brainchild behind the Academy-Church partnership. “We knew then as we know now that what we are doing for the community is not simply a nice thing to do. It is something substantive aimed at addressing a real need.”
Aull adds, “We are called to serve our fellow man. But it’s not simply with our resources. Yes, resources are important. But it’s time, kindness and an encouraging word they so-desperately need.”
The Thursday lunch event will be the culmination of a weeklong celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., beginning Monday (MLK Day) when the Claflin Saturday Academy will collect non-perishable food items throughout the community. Last year, the Academy collected 1,700-plus canned goods and other non-perishables, breaking the previous year’s record of 1,200 items.
“The week of Martin Luther King’s Birthday and federal holiday is a special time for us, and we are looking forward to expanding this partnering effort with the church and other supporters in other ways,” says Aull.
The Claflin Saturday Academy is an AmeriCorps volunteer tutoring program aimed at improving literacy and making a difference in the lives of middle school students.
The Thursday lunch will begin at noon and run through about 2:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church Soup Kitchen, 1240 Russell Street, in Orangeburg.
