Monday marks the UW’s eighth annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, an opportunity for UW students, faculty and alumni to reflect on King’s call for service and respond to his request through participation in community service projects.

The Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center at UW, partnering with the United Way of King County, worked to organize this year’s event.

Jared Erlandson, a representative from United Way, said seeing the youth ready to get involved makes him especially happy.

“When the economy is tightening and people are really feeling it, it means so much to the people getting the help,” he said.

Volunteers will start their day of service at the HUB, where Ed Taylor, dean and vice provost of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, and Jon Fine, United Way of King County chief executive, will offer insight into King’s vision of community. Participants will then be dismissed to begin their various projects.

Sean Berger, a 2006 UW graduate, is prepared to spend Monday advocating in Olympia for legislation related to alleviating poverty. Berger’s group is working with Real Change, a weekly Seattle newspaper, and several other organizations to raise awareness of issues associated with poverty, such as the need for health care, immigration complications and affordable housing.

Berger is excited to see the effects the rally.

“Do something on a day off, instead of just taking the day off,” he said.

International studies major Luke McKinley is equally enthusiastic about his plan to revitalize the plant life in the Beacon Hill neighborhood with the help of the city’s youth.

McKinley is associated with the Dream Project, a high-school outreach program that helps low-income and first generation students get into college.

“It’s a chance to provide these high-schoolers with an avenue to do a little community service and to make connections with UW students,” he said.

Community member Debra Mullen also has renovation work in mind next week. Mullen and a group of student volunteers will be heading to Washington Care Center to decorate and clean residents’ rooms. The group will hang photographs and homemade quilts and assist in tidying peoples’ personal belongings. Washington Care Center is a nursing facility that contains 90 rooms and 165 beds.

Mullen said the center is an exceptional place to volunteer on MLK Day because many residents witnessed firsthand the struggle for racial equality in the 1960s.

“These are people who lived that experience,” Mullen said. “I am honored to go there and help them spruce up their rooms.”

Carlson Center representative Matt Wojciakowski said there are about 64 different service projects taking place this year and 1,048 people have already registered to participate.

“People in Seattle and at the UW have a lot of rejuvenated energy and excitement for our country, and we’re hoping that we have record numbers turning out to get involved in supporting our local community this year,” he said.

Reach reporter Katie McVicker at news@dailyuw.com.