A lot of planning went into this year’s Martin Luther King Day of Service at Friends School. From breakfast and a wonderful talk from keynote speaker Jessica Harrington, to the multitude of activities on campus and off, the day was full of helpful community spirit.

Snow the previous day meant a smaller crowd than usual. But they listened attentively to Harrington’s talk. She started with a reflection of Dr. King’s values and how they can be applied to everyone.

“We can be light…We can be love,” Ms. Harrington had said to Pre-K through Upper School students at the school’s MLK Day Convocation the Friday before. 

In her Day of Service talk, Harrington restated that idea and built on it, giving advice about how to be that light and love that people want to invite into their lives. 

After breakfast, participants engaged in a variety of volunteer opportunities for students and adults of all ages.

On campus, there were an abundance of ways to serve the Baltimore Community; mostly by assembling different kinds of craft kits or care packages to be delivered. 

Off campus, there were opportunities for direct service with different Friends School partner organizations. This year, thanks to Upper School student requests, community partners such as Saint Vincent’s Villa and My Sister’s Place were added to the list of places to volunteer. 

Although there were a few mix-ups and weather-related snafus, altogether MLK Day of Service 2026 was a success. The Friends School community brought light and love into the places they were serving.