Nearly 3,000 volunteers around the country marked October 3 by giving back to their communities through “Be the Change,” SAALT's National Day of Service. Students, retirees, professionals and community members participated in service activities in Atlanta, Boston, New York City, San Francisco and Washington D.C., as well as over 50 other cities and campuses.

“Be the Change” takes place annually near Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. Every year, Be the Change participants nationwide fulfill Mahatma Gandhi's widely-recognized message: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Volunteers reinforced this year’s theme of Giving in Action through activities like restoring a water-damaged food pantry in Rhode Island; constructing homes in Detroit and Alabama, assisting with the Boston Pancreatic Research Walk and registering individuals to join the Bone Marrow Registry nationwide.

Participants echoed Mahatma Gandhi's messages of compassion and service. A D.C. participant: “This was my first time at a Be the Change event and I was amazed to see the energy in people so early in the morning on a Saturday.” Rutgers University: “I can’t believe about 20 of us in an hour did enough work to feed 1,800 families.”

Ohio State University: “Going to ASHA Ray of Hope helped me realize that domestic violence still exists in our community.” University of Alabama: “It’s important to remember Gandhi as his words influence others to help spread peace and selfless acts among everyone.”