More than 350 students and community members from the University of South Carolina celebrated and honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a day of service throughout the Midlands on Jan. 17, 2026.
The event was part of USC’s Service Saturday program through the Leadership and Service Center, and featured volunteers at 14 sites in Columbia and the neighboring city of Cayce, creating an economic impact for the area exceeding $47,555 and outstanding exposure to civic engagement for our students.
“MLK Day of Service is truly special at the University of South Carolina. It reflects the continued growth of this day of service and our commitment to serving the community while honoring and remembering Dr. King’s lasting legacy," Derenzo Thomas, Assistant Director for Community Engagement, says. "When we say ‘USC Serves,’ we truly mean it — and that impact was felt far and wide on MLK Day of Service."
Volunteers started the day early with opening remarks on campus and then split off to their individual service sites. On campus, volunteers in the Russell House once again competed in a peanut butter and jelly making competition with all sandwiches donated to The Arc of South Carolina. Together, participants made a total of more than 2,100 sandwiches for those facing hunger in the community. Outside, volunteers got out their paint brushes to touch up the Gamecock logo painted in the center of Greene Street just outside of the Russell House, bringing vibrant color to outdoor events and class changes for the entire spring semester. A few blocks away, Students and community members also lent a helping hand in the Sustainable Carolina Garden located near USC's Green Quad.
Off-campus, volunteers took on a variety of improvement tasks in the community from collecting litter off the streets to helping construct new homes and more. Below is a list of many of the organizations and locations where Gamecocks served:
- Central South Carolina Habitat for Humanity
- Office Of Sustainability Sustainable Carolina Garden
- share ONE love
- Wheeler Hill Neighborhood Association
- Game Changers
- Central South Carolina Habitat for Humanity
- W. Gordon Belser Arboretum
- The Hive Community Circle
- Cayce Councilman Byron Thomas MLK Litter Clean Up
- Russell House
- Greene Street
The Leadership and Service Center will host its next Service Saturdays on February 21 and March 28 with the annual Big Event on April 18, 2026.