Spending a day off of school serving the community may not be what every student would choose to do, but on Monday, Jan 15 this is the choice that sophomore Oliver Fiering and seniors Ella Bowling and Keira Patty made. This wasn’t just any day off school though; this was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a holiday dedicated to honoring King’s legacy through volunteering in the community.

These three students volunteered with their Girl Scout troop to package menstrual products for those in need. The event, run through an organization called ​​Giving Hope & Help, involved an assembly line to make as many packages as they could. Patty enjoyed the experience because of the way it brought people together.

“I liked meeting the other people that were there,” Patty said. “Everybody was so nice there and it was just a really good vibe. They made lunch for us afterwards and it was just really nice to see everybody working together to make an impact.”

For Bowling, serving the community is specifically important on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as it is important to honor his legacy.

“​​I think it’s really important because we get a whole day off of school just because [King] did what he did,” Bowling said. “I think we have to treat that with importance, so I think serving the community for him is really important because he put in so much work.”

Even outside honoring King, service is important to Patty.

“It’s really important to me because I like seeing the impact and making a difference,” Patty said. “It’s something that some people can’t experience and I feel like it’s something everyone should experience. Giving back is just really nice to see.”

Fiering finds the importance of service by the fact that if he was in the same position he would like for someone to do the same for him.

“It’s very important to be connecting with your community,” Fiering said. “Either if you are giving to them or giving with them. It’s something you’d want to have if you were in a lesser situation. You’d want at least a little bit of help. It’s good to serve your community.”