The Merrimack College community once again celebrated the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. through the Augustinian tradition of service.
Around 110 students, faculty and staff gathered in the Sakowich Campus Center on Saturday, Jan. 18, to build 20 children’s bed frames to benefit A Bed for Every Child (ABEC), a Lynn-based non-profit that works with families in need living in Middlesex and Essex counties.
“I built beds with A Bed for Every Child back in high school as well,” said Bryan Costa ’25, one of the event’s student organizers. “They have it all down to a science and we’re making great time.”
This marks the second year Merrimack partnered with ABEC for the College’s MLK Day service event. The nonprofit supplied the wood and tools while the Warriors supplied the elbow grease.
One such Warrior was John Clinton ’28. A member of the men’s volleyball team, he brought four of his teammates along to help out.
“I’m a construction management major so this is right up my alley,” he said. “Men’s volleyball previously volunteered at Mack Gives Back. We’re always looking to give back as much as we can.”
Deborah Ndayisaba ’27, president of Merrimack’s Black Student Association and another student organizer, said she was impressed with this year’s turnout.
“I know it’s the first weekend back, but you never know when you’re going to get this opportunity to help others again,” she said. “Taking two hours of your day to help someone in need is really impactful.”
Costa and Ndayisaba assisted Rileigh Armstrong, campus minister for service and social justice, with putting on the event. Other organizers included Carlyle Calixte ’28, Emily Hanrahan ’26 and Tess DeJesus ’28.
“We worked together on the social justice elements of the event,” Armstrong explained. “We wanted to challenge and question the students on why there are so many children in our local community who need beds.”
Katherine LaFlamme, access services librarian at McQuade Library, was drilling together headboards during the event.
“I feel like with other places I worked, we didn’t get as many opportunities to volunteer,” LaFlamme said. “At Merrimack, even if it’s a workday, we’re all encouraged to help out and I think that’s really great.”
In LaFlamme’s group was Julia Ferraro, Merrimack’s accessibility service specialist.
“I love the opportunity to work with the students in a different capacity and seeing this different side to them,” Ferarro said. “We’re all working for a common goal, and the fact that all the students here made the choice to help out on their own speaks for itself.”
