Across the country, our Campus Compact VISTA Team, VISTA Leaders, and VISTA Members shifted their daily focus on capacity-building to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call to action for community members to uplift and support one another through service, dedicating 85 total hours of direct service to 31 organizations served across 12 states.
Take a look at how our VISTAs answered that call!
To start off, Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA Leaders Sofia D’Errico and Stanton Cope, and Campus Compact VISTA Program Manager Stephanie Diaz visited Roosevelt University in downtown Chicago for their MLK Day of Service. With Roosevelt’s current VISTA, Elijah Griggs, Ayanna McDaniel, VISTA member at The Chicago School, and Ian, VISTA member at National Louis University, the group spent two hours making fleece scarves that will be donated to the Care for Real Center, a local organization that offers food, clothing, and other services to those in need. The scarves will be donated to their various locations throughout Chicago.
In cities like Chicago, where winter temperatures regularly drop below freezing, a fleece scarf is necessary for health and safety. High wind chills and freezing temperatures can be life-threatening, so creating high-quality winter gear like scarves provides a shield against the elements. Two of our members, Elijah and Ayanna, shared their perspectives on what it was like to spend their MLK Day of Service crafting these essential items for the community:
Elijah Griggs - Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA member at Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL
Elijah is a recent graduate of Roosevelt. To support their food pantry, Elijah’s Campus Compact VISTA service year focuses on community outreach to improve services and build volunteer systems, with the ultimate goal of reducing food insecurity among the student body.
Elijah reflected on how the service event fostered a collaborative environment among students who were new to community service. He spoke about supporting them through the scarf-making activity and helping create a confidence-building experience, saying,
“I helped some students measure, cut, and properly make scarves, helping them feel more confident and enjoy their time serving the community.”
Ayanna McDaniel - Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA member at The Chicago School in Chicago, IL
Ayanna is a VISTA serving as a First Generation Support Specialist at The Chicago School in Chicago, IL, where she assists First Generation students through the First Gen Student Success program. With over 63% of The Chicago School students identifying as First Gen, she aims to provide them with peer mentoring and specialized resources to guide them on their journey.
Ayanna emphasized the collective effort necessary for the project and the impact of the group’s work, especially during a time when winter weather poses serious risks for community members who. She reflected on what the group accomplished together during the event, noting, “We measured and tied over 40 scarves for donation to those in need during this harsh winter season. It was a great success!”
Sam Frank - Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA Leader in Austin, TX
Sam is Campus Compact’s 2025-2026 Data VISTA Leader. His role includes supporting Campus Compact’s VISTA project objectives and developing, refining, and implementing data-collection tools and practices. As the Data VISTA Leader, Sam also conducts data training and monthly data report monitoring for VISTA members and supports his portfolio of members throughout the year.
Sam reflected on using MLK Day of Service to engage in service alongside his friends, sharing, “I spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day performing direct service with the Pease Park Conservancy in Austin, TX. I volunteered for their weekly litter pick-up activity. I got a group of friends together and spent the morning picking up trash across the park. At the end of the day, we helped the conservancy weigh trash to report their numbers to the city.”
Geoff Gracia - Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA member at Michigan State University-Circular Economics in Lansing, MI
As a Circular Economy Specialist VISTA, Geoff gathers and analyzes research data, creates GIS maps and economic spreadsheets, and builds outreach networks to support sustainable resource use. His project serves Michigan communities, Lansing-area businesses, and MSU students and faculty by empowering them to reduce waste, strengthen local supply chains, and generate new green jobs. The ultimate goal is to alleviate poverty through sustainable economic growth and workforce development.
For MLK Day of Service, Geoff reflected on continuing his relationship with a community organization he values, saying,
“I chose to help out at the Allen Neighborhood Center, where I had volunteered on the 9/11 Day of Service in 2025. I love their organization and the opportunity to give back to the community I live in, so I am always looking for ways to help them and will continue to do so after my service term. I helped them from 12:00 pm - 3:45 pm with their weekly Monday Breadbasket program. The program works by partnering with the Greater Lansing Food Bank, Panera, Bake N Cakes, Fresh Thyme, and neighborhood gardeners to take extra food stock and create a low-cost, high-access shopping period for families. This event was a fun and meaningful way to directly help my community."
Linda Vera - Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA member at Stanford University-Rise South City in Stanford, CA
As an AmeriCorps VISTA Member serving as the Environmental Justice Program Coordinator with Rise South City at Stanford University, Linda supports frontline and low-income communities disproportionately impacted by climate change. Her project focuses on capacity building through volunteer engagement, environmental justice programming, and community outreach.
Linda reflected on how meaningful it was to support food access efforts while strengthening connections with her fellow VISTAs during her MLK Day of Service opportunity, noting, “Volunteering with Second Harvest, a local food bank and distribution organization, was truly inspiring. It was meaningful to directly support underserved community members on MLK Day and to contribute, even in a small way, to meeting community needs. Experiences like this are not only fulfilling for me but also provide valuable insight into the priorities and challenges our neighbors face. Moreover, it was lovely getting to volunteer alongside Stanford University - Thrive Alliance’s Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA member, Hadley Stevick, and Campus Compact VISTA’s Recruitment and Outreach Program Coordinator, Bella McKinney, and to strengthen my connection with the VISTA team!”
Ezra Packard - Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA member at Stanford University-Valley Verde in Stanford, CA
Ezra’s project aims to enhance the effectiveness of gardening education programs in addressing regional food insecurity. Currently, they are conducting interviews with community members as part of a community needs assessment to better understand their long-term food needs and service access. Ezra chose to serve as a VISTA to gain a deeper understanding of the processes involved in urban food system collaboration and improve community access to fresh, affordable food.
Reflecting on how their MLK Day of Service experience contributed to supporting a community-driven food system, Ezra said, “During MLK Day, I volunteered at Alemany Farm, the largest agricultural site in San Francisco. Alemany Farm promotes food security by providing organic produce to community members and fosters environmental education through volunteer engagement and workshops. During my volunteer experience, I learned about the farm's social and political history, which has been heavily shaped by the organized efforts of local residents to create an independent source of food for themselves and others. I also worked with a group of volunteers to plant 100 lettuce seedlings, which will feed future volunteers and community members.”
Amar Gandhi - Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA member at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA
Amar serves as the Data Impact Analyst at George Mason University's (GMU) Office of Community Engagement and Civic Learning (CECiL). His project's goal is to effectively track, visualize, and analyze community engagement data to improve data-driven decision-making processes and strengthen community engagement outcomes for GMU across the Northern Virginia region.
Amar’s MLK Day of Service activity involved creating cards to thank all the volunteers who support Arlington Free Clinic (AFC). He spoke about contributing to the clinic’s mission through a gesture of gratitude and support, saying,
“Upon arrival, we were given background information, an overview, and a tour of AFC. After this, we sat down for 2 hours and decorated Valentine's Day cards to give to all the dedicated volunteers who give their time and effort to help the Clinic and, in turn, help the community. The Valentine's Day cards had cheesy medical puns written on them, such as ‘I can't live-r without you."
As we reflect on the success of the 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, we thank all of our VISTAs who meaningfully contributed their time and efforts to plant produce, assist food banks, pick up litter at parks, craft warm winter gear, and respond to other urgent community needs. MLK Day of Service complements our VISTA members’ ongoing capacity-building work, which they are committed to year-round. While MLK Day of Service offers a dedicated moment to act, our VISTAs carry this commitment forward every day by supporting their host sites and working alongside students and community partners to alleviate poverty and create long-term, sustainable changes.