In commemoration of civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his work, 20 Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) students, employees and their families spent their day off by volunteering on the national MLK Day of Service on Jan. 15.

One crew, organized by MCCC Nursing Instructor Kelly Lyles, served at the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown. They helped zoo employees prepare for a major event by setting up and arranging tables and chairs. Additionally, they created tree cookies (painted wooden disks) the zoo displays throughout the park. Following their work, the volunteers received a behind-the-scenes tour of the zoo and had the opportunity to feed the bison.

Operated by the Norristown Zoological Society, the nonprofit Elmwood Park Zoo fosters an appreciation for wildlife, the environment and conservation.

A second crew, students from the Pottstown Upward Bound program led by Coordinator Darryl Davis, volunteered at the Olivet Boys & Girls Club in Pottstown, where they helped to clean, paint and organize materials at the center.

The Olivet Boys & Girls Club serves youth ages 6 through 18 in the community by providing afterschool programming and mentoring activities.