MLK Day 2010

A major thanks goes out to the Iowa Campus Compact AmeriCorps Program (ICAP) student and Survivorship Chair for Colleges Against Cancer, Samantha Hebel, who was a main contributor in creating a partnership between the Civic Engagement Office and Colleges Against Cancer to establish Cornell College's MLK Day Project. Cornell students helped create sock monkeys and fleece blankets for youth at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital during their dinner break.

The project attracted approximately 30 students to participate in the service activity for two hours. The volunteer response was so good they need to add another pair of tables to accommodate the tremendous number of volunteers!

Both organizations were able to donate 30 sock monkeys and two fleece blankets!

Project’s Feedback
“Sewing sock monkeys and making blankets was an enjoyable project for quite a wide range of students. This turned out to be a fantastic activity because everyone, regardless of their level of experience was able to contribute their skills to the activity. We were at first concerned that it would be a difficult project, since we were constructing the sock monkeys from scratch without the assistance of a sewing machine. As it turned out, the students thought that added to the fun! There were students who came without any experience sewing, and in contrast, some students attended who stated that sewing is a hobby of theirs. Our student volunteers enthusiastically were willing to learn new skills as well as help each other in creating the sock monkeys; this team effort made the service project even more of a success!”

We were particularly surprised and pleased with the number of male participants who came to sew sock monkeys. All of them were really into the activity and called their friends to get them in on the fun. At one point, we had an entire table of five college men sitting together sewing the monkeys. It was exciting for our service project to appeal to so many individuals.

The Cornell Community Service Connect Floor came together to help make sock monkeys. They seemed to have a really great time giving all of the monkeys different personalities, whether it be adding a bow tie, buttons, eyebrows, or glasses. And each of them were given names. How special that they had this quality time contributing towards a great cause and were able to also bond as a group through service.

Many of the volunteers asked when they could help make monkeys again! We were thrilled to have made such a positive impact on youth at the hospital, and especially thrilled that we had so many student volunteers who had the desire to be a part of that impact. They had such a fantastic time, and we enjoyed hosting this MLK Day of Service project.”

Alyssa Dahmer
AmeriCorps VISTA