HAMBURG, N.Y. – On Friday, January 25, 2019 Hilbert College students, faculty, and staff will participate in Unity with Our Community, a service day devoted to carrying on the work and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in our community.

This day aims to connect Hilbert with members of our surrounding community and the work Dr. King advocated for to understand the impact and importance of taking action to promote equity, justice, respect, and compassion.  As a way of living out the dream Dr. King dared to put forth into the world during his famous “I have a dream” speech, Hilbert College students, faculty, and staff will serve with members of the greater Buffalo community. 

Members of the Hilbert community will serve at various sites in the area including:

1. Compass House: Provides runaway, homeless, and street youth with safe shelter and services. Compass House stands as one of the nation's oldest shelter and service providers for youth of all gender identities, offering shelter, counseling, and so much more.
   
   
2. Family Promise of WNY: One of only two emergency shelters in Erie County that keep families together which include fathers and teenage sons. The agency's mission is to unite faith communities and people of good will in responding to the needs of families experiencing homelessness in our community. 
   
   
3. Food Bank of WNY: The primary hunger-relief organization in Western New York. The agency obtains nutritious food and distributes support to our community members throughout Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Niagara Counties. 
   
   
4. Little Portion Friary: A volunteer-run organization that brings forth the mission of the Catholic Church to provide food for the hungry, clothing for the undressed, and shelter for the homeless.
   
   
5. Salvation Army in Buffalo: Provides a variety of programs and services that annually benefit over 30,000 economically disadvantaged people. The Salvation Army is an integral part of the local human service network, providing housing, clothing, nutritional, social, and spiritual assistance through a wide range of separate but interrelated programs and services.
   
   
6. S.S. Columba Brigid: A neighborhood, multicultural Catholic church where all are welcome. 
   
   
7. Veterans One Stop:  A local non-profit that unites and empowers veterans, service members, and their families. The agency provides free services and resources such as employment, financial counseling, legal, housing, and education to ease the transition from military to civilian life.

Depending upon the site, students, staff, and faculty will have opportunities to organize supplies and pantries, prep meals, assist with light housekeeping, and other general maintenance.   Members of the Hilbert College community can register here >>>

Hilbert College, located in suburban Hamburg, N.Y., south of Buffalo, is a private four-year college founded in 1957 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. With nearly 900 students, Hilbert is a dynamic Western New York college that offers career-focused majors, including one of the top criminal justice programs in the region, and more than 50 minors and concentrations. The college’s engaging, student-centered campus community offers numerous leadership, internship, and service learning opportunities from which students launch successful careers while making positive changes in their communities. The Hilbert Blueprint promotes a well-rounded student experience over four years – starting with the Foundations Seminar in the freshman year, followed by Sophomore Service, Junior Symposium, and culminating with the Senior Capstone. Hilbert has expanded its academic offerings with the college’s first graduate programs in criminal justice administration and public administration, including a track in health administration.