Queens Unites for Royal Days of Service 

During the first week of the spring semester, the Queens community gathered to participate in the Royal Days of Service, a week-long series of volunteer opportunities on- and off-campus benefitting organizations aimed at helping Charlotte’s most vulnerable and underserved populations.  

Since its inception in 2016, the event has grown from a single student to hundreds, including alumni, faculty, and staff. Royal Days of Services serves as a powerful tribute to the enduring legacy and spirit of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., whose message of service and equality resonates profoundly with the Queens community. 

On Jan. 12, the last Royal Day of Service, volunteers gathered in the Levine Center for Wellness and Recreation and rolled up their sleeves to assemble hundreds of sandwiches and care packages for those in need. Prepared items went to community-based organizations including Roof Above, Promising Pages, Classroom Central, Charlotte Family Housing, and the Ronald McDonald House.  

This year’s events were a joint effort organized by the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement, the Belk Chapel, and the Center for Academic Community Engagement. 

“I used to think that in order to help, you needed to give money,” said Darryl White Sr. ’92, MSTOD ’21, assistant dean, diversity, inclusion and community engagement. “But I discovered that I could be generous with my time, my compassion, and my desire to help other people, which meant more than a dollar amount. I quickly realized that the smallest act of kindness can make a world of difference.”