Serving for Martin Luther King Jr.

Americorps • January 23, 2019

Monday, January 21 st , was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national day of service.  As a Huron Pines AmeriCorps member, this was a great opportunity for me to serve our community. The Allen Neighborhood Center, located in Lansing, invited volunteers to come out and serve for the afternoon. The Allen Neighborhood Center is a “Place-based organization that serves as a hub for neighborhood revitalization and for activities that promote the health and well-being of Lansing Eastside community and other stakeholders” ( allenneighborhoodcenter.org ).

The volunteer event started off with introductions, coffee, bagels, and to my surprise, our governor and her staff made an appearance. I then took the time and looked around the room; to my right was a girl who was studying to be a vet at MSU, to my left were a group of kids, our governor and her staff, and spread out around the room on several shirts was the “A” emblem that stands for AmeriCorps.

I was reflecting on the diversity of the volunteers, people came from all over, some not even part of an organization but simply wanted to give to their community. As cheesy as this may sound, it warmed my heart. The ability of people with different backgrounds to come together with complete strangers and unite under a similar goal or passion is so very unique and special. I do believe that’s one of the reasons that binds Huron Pines AmeriCorps with MUCC, because in conservation we promote unity, even with different backgrounds.

My service task with the Allen Neighborhood Center took place in their Hunter Park Garden House. The Garden House is a hub for year-round farm and garden education, where neighbors volunteer to grow food and flowers for the community. Myself, along with 15-20 other volunteers, were tasked with promoting food access and youth empowerment for the Garden-In-A-Box Program within the Garden House. While I and a few other people were playing in the dirt and planting onion seeds, others were building ten 2×2 wooden garden beds. These onions and wooden garden boxes will provide for self-identified food insecure residents’ on the eastside of Lansing.

The Allen Neighborhood Center is a fantastic organization that brings out the best in the eastside community of Lansing and I look forward to volunteering for them again. I already know I want to go full-circle and be a part of giving out the mature onions I planted, for the community, come this spring/summer. A special thank you to Martin Luther King Jr. for all that you did for this nation, it was an honor to serve on your day.

Recent Posts

On the Ground Junior: Fall Event Recap

By Olivia Triltsch • October 16, 2025
In 2025, the On the Ground program conducted 8 junior projects with schools involving 316 students from across the state. From tree plantings to invasive species removal, these students worked to enhance 39.3 acres of public land after contributing over 200 volunteer hours. Visit our website to learn more information about our On the Ground program and On the Ground Junior . To wrap up the 2025 field season, the On the Ground program worked with two classrooms to enhance wildlife habitat and recreational access. Junior programs like these allow teachers to get their students out of the classroom and into hands-on learning about the importance of habitat work while meeting individuals in the field.

October NRC Recap

By Justin Tomei • October 9, 2025
The Natural Resources Commission met today, Thursday, October 9th for their October meeting. The commission reaffirmed its intent to allow for lethal year-round coyote management on public and private land via a unanimously passed resolution before passing fisheries orders, and tabling more for consideration in November. The commission passed Fisheries Orders 210.26 , and 254.25 before tabling 206.26, 219.26 , and 253.26 . Commissioner John Walters provided an amendment to the fisheries order to expand underwater spearfishing opportunities to most of the Great Lakes, allowing for some spatial closures for the protection of particularly sensitive areas. The commission took steps to make good on their promise to allow year-round coyote management, unanimously passing a resolution more clearly stating their intent and what the pending wildlife conservation order will look like. The next meeting is Thursday November 6 in Lansing.

October NRC Meeting Preview: Wildlife, Habitat, and Regulation Updates on the Agenda

By Justin Tomei • October 7, 2025
The Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC) will convene for its October meeting on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at Michigan Technological University’s Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts in Houghton, MI. This monthly gathering brings together commissioners, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff, and the public to discuss policy decisions and updates impacting the state’s natural resources, wildlife, and outdoor recreation opportunities. The meeting will begin with Coffee with Commissioners from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., followed by the formal session at 9:30 a.m. Attendees can park for free in Lot 10, located east of the Rozsa Center. The meeting will open with a presentation from DNR leadership, including several notable updates and informational reports: Spring Turkey Regulations: Wildlife Division staff will present proposed changes to spring turkey hunting regulations for 2026. Wildlife Habitat Grants : Program leads will outline new habitat grant initiatives and highlight ongoing restoration efforts across the state. Moose Population Monitoring: A presentation will cover results from the most recent moose survey and discuss ecological and environmental factors limiting population growth. White-Nose Syndrome: The Wildlife Division will provide the latest data on the spread and impact of white-nose syndrome on Michigan’s bat populations. New Business The commission will consider a range of new proposals and action items, including: Oil and Gas Lease Auction: Approval for a proposed October 21, 2025, lease auction for energy development on state-managed lands. Land Transactions: Consideration of multiple land sales, acquisitions, and donations, including parcels in Tuscola, Wayne, St. Clair, and Luce counties. Wildlife Orders: Review of spring turkey regulations for the 2026 hunting season . Old Business The NRC will also revisit several regulatory items from previous meetings, including proposed amendments to a number of Fisheries Orders. This includes an amendment further expanding underwater spearfishing to larger portions of the Great Lakes. All orders and amendments for consideration can be found at the NRC agenda, HERE .
More Posts