On Saturday, Jan. 20, Hamilton Association for Volunteering, Outreach and Charity (HAVOC) embarked on its 20th Annual MLK Jr. Day of Service, where students are sent to multiple sites and organizations in Clinton, Utica, New Hartford, and Rome to volunteer and connect with these local community. This year’s sites included elderly homes, animal sanctuaries and shelters and farms, among others.

As one of two of HAVOC’s annual service days, the other being Make a Difference Day in the fall, a lot of hard work goes into not just the volunteering itself, but putting together the event and reaching out to the sites.

As Libbie Warner ’19, the co-director of HAVOC, describes, “We connect with sites throughout the community based on previous and new relationships. Amy James, the COOP, and HAVOC have all built connections of service throughout the community that we then build on for this event.

“These organizations look forward to Hamilton volunteers throughout the year,” she added.

Despite the fact that the event began two decades ago, HAVOC is proudly overseeing its continual growth and development. According to Warner, this year’s service day boasts “the largest turnout yet with around 250 people.”

Students had the opportunity to individually sign up or sign up in groups, so volunteer sites saw mixes of friends old and new, sports teams, and club members.

Every year is different, but what stood out to Warner about 2018’s service day “was the sheer number of volunteers.”

“It was great to look out at the Annex and see the whole space full of college students ready to spend two to three hours of their Saturday helping others. Further, when they returned to campus, they responded with great enthusiasm and joy for what service they had just completed.”

Mo McDermott ’18 was enthusiastic about participating, commenting that “the HAVOC board worked so hard to place, transport, and feed us, and not to mention deal with all the last minute logistical setbacks. While we shouldn’t be uncritical of the conditions that necessitate ‘service,’ HAVOC service days certainly are a great way for Hamilton students to be involved in our immediate surroundings.”

“They have, as well, certainly given me a much stronger sense of place as a Hamilton student.”