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Miami Dream Day of Service 2025

University of Miami students give back to the community through service projects

By University of Miami

January 28^th, 2025

More than 200 University of Miami students fanned out across Miami-Dade County on Saturday for Miami Dream Day of Service, a day of service honoring Martin Luther King Jr. The event is a collaboration between two student organizations—Miami Day of Service and United Black Students—with support from the Butler Center for Service and Leadership, and the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs.

Students spent the day volunteering at six locations across Miami-Dade County to support 10 local nonprofits. They were able to choose from a variety of projects, on and off campus.

“By partnering with local organizations and serving the community, Miami Dream Day allowed students to not only make a tangible impact but also gain a deeper appreciation for the Miami-Dade area,” said Ashley Babulal, co-chair of Miami Day of Service.

Students participated in a variety of service projects, including trimming palms at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, planting vegetables at Green Haven Project in Overtown, collecting trash at Crandon Park and Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, and serving lunch to people experiencing homelessness at Miami Rescue Mission. On campus, they cleaned donated children’s shoes for In Jacob’s Shoes, prepared hundreds of sandwiches for the homeless at The Caring Place, and assembled care kits for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House, as well as hygiene kits for Project Downtown Miami.

“Miami Dream Day was a huge success,” added Lindsey Goldstein, associate director of the Butler Center. “We had 202 students each volunteer for three hours, for a total of 606 hours logged across 10 projects serving the community.”

“We do this in honor of MLK, so that the community can continue to flourish and advance for future generations.”

THE IMPACT OF MIAMI DREAM DAY OF SERVICE

528 sandwiches prepared and distributed to The Caring Place, serving those experiencing homelessness
250 shoes cleaned and donated to In Jacob’s Shoes to distribute to community in need
93.76 lbs. of trash removed at Crandon Park and Virginia Key Historic Virginia Key Beach Park
200 palm trees trimmed and cleared at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
100 vegetables planted at Green Haven Project to be distributed to food deserts in Historic Overtown
150 people experiencing homelessness were served lunch at Miami Rescue Mission
25 lbs. of mulch collected at Zoo Miami
100 hygiene kits assembled to be donated to Project Downtown, serving those experiencing homelessness
75 care kits assembled for families and children receiving long-term medical treatments at Ronald McDonald House

Footnotes

Production, and design by Joshua Prezant. Photos by Catherine Mairena and the Butler Center for Service and Leadership University of Miami. Story by Margaret Todd.

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FootNotes

Production, and design by Joshua Prezant. Photos by Catherine Mairena and the Butler Center for Service and Leadership University of Miami. Story by Margaret Todd.

National Championship 2026

Miami Dream Day of Service 2025

University of Miami students give back to the community through service projects

FootNotes

All Roads Lead Home

Next Stop: National Championship

Fiesta Bowl Here We Come

Round One

December 2^nd, 2025

December 2^nd, 2025

University of Miami

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Tools and Resources

Visit

FootNotes

All Roads Lead Home

Next Stop: National Championship

Fiesta Bowl Here We Come

Round One

December 2nd, 2025

December 2nd, 2025

University of Miami

UM Network

Tools and Resources

Visit

December 2^nd, 2025

December 2^nd, 2025