Over 450 volunteers serve 816 hours at United Way of the Piedmont’s annual MLK Day of Service
January 22, 2025On January 20, over 450 volunteers across Cherokee and Spartanburg counties came together for United Way of the Piedmont’s annual MLK Day of Service, collectively contributing 816 hours of service.
This year marked the 30th anniversary of the nationwide AmeriCorps MLK Day of Service, a day when Americans across the country volunteer to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For over a decade, United Way of the Piedmont has hosted this day of service in our community, bringing people together to make a lasting impact.
The day kicked off with a free community breakfast, generously provided by the City of Spartanburg, at the Dr. T.K. Gregg Center. After breakfast, volunteers convened at 20 local service projects, ranging from trail cleanups and playground construction to period kit packing and marketing support for local nonprofits.
Sherea Cross, representing the Gamma Mu Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., volunteered alongside her sorority sisters at the Spartanburg Period Project, helping to pack kits for those in need. Reflecting on the significance of volunteering on MLK Day, Sherea shared, “I think it’s very important to give back, especially on MLK Day because Dr. King wanted unity. And today it’s very diversified because of different sororities and different organizations here, but we all came together for [this] project.”
United Way of the Piedmont extends its heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers who contributed their time and effort this MLK Day. We encourage everyone to mark their calendars for next year’s Day of Service on Monday, January 19, 2026.
About United Way of the Piedmont
“United Way of the Piedmont is a local nonprofit that strengthens economic mobility, educational opportunity, and access to healthcare for families in Cherokee, Spartanburg, and Union counties. We convene partners and mobilize resources to carry out our mission to connect, engage, and inspire people to transform our community. We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive, and that means everyone. Learn more at www.uwpiedmont.org.”