More than 1,200 people from the UW community gave up their day off from work and school yesterday to serve the community as part of the UW's Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

With more than 60 projects for volunteers to choose from, finding an area that sparked an interest wasn't hard.

The projects ranged from community garden clean-ups to volunteer work with the Elizabeth Gregory Home (EGH), a transitional house for homeless women in the Seattle area.

"I chose [this project] because it is a smaller organization and helping homeless women in the Seattle area was a draw to me," said Angela Kalil, a pre-med student at the UW.

Volunteers began arriving at the HUB ballroom around 8 a.m. to receive their shirts and eat breakfast before a long day's work.

UW President Mark Emmert and several notable members of the community came to kick off the day, welcoming and thanking the students for giving time on their day off.

"Sometimes, in this world, it is hard to believe that one person can make a difference, and then you think of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.," said Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle. "We can live out MLK's dreams by helping out each other."

The volunteer work at the EGH began promptly at 9:30 a.m., after the kick-off breakfast in the HUB ballroom.

The volunteers at the EGH were sectioned off in two groups, and accomplishing different tasks throughout the home.

Sorting out donations and rearranging the newly finished offices were the first tasks the volunteers completed.

The EGH has only been open since October 2006, so there is a lot that still needs to be put together for the residents. This is what attracted Aimee Fitzgerald, a sophomore biology student, to this particular project.

"I chose this project because I want to help," she said. "It is a new organization, and this way they can accomplish what needs to be done without paying anyone. They can have a better opportunity to serve the women here."

The volunteers got the opportunity to have lunch with the residents of the EGH, which put a face on the people they are serving.

"I am really excited about lunch with the residents, you don't always get to see who you are serving; I am excited for that," said project leader Joanna Wright.

Serving those in need is what Martin Luther King, Jr. and this day are all about, said Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels.

"Twelve hundred UW students are going out and spending their day in service to help promote race and social justice, to improve the environment, to make sure that homeless people are taken care of, and that women who are victims of domestic violence are cared for," Nickels said. "You are indeed honoring his legacy, and it grows each and every year."

This year, the UW teamed up with the United Way of King County's Out of the Rain campaign, and the day of service focused around homelessness in the area.

In the Seattle area alone about 8,000 people are homeless on any given night, according to the King County Coalition for Homelessness Web site.

The day wrapped up for most groups about 3 p.m., but the idea of serving others lives on, said Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of undergraduate academic affairs.

"We have a day of service," Taylor said. "But we are also trying to build a tradition of service at this University."

Reach reporter Celia Hunko at celiahunko@thedaily.washington.edu.