A day in the life with Owls for Philly
By Sarah Leslie King
At the start of Temple University’s 2025-26 academic year, President John Fry introduced a new initiative, Owls for Philly. Through this program, eligible Temple staff members can use up to eight hours of civic engagement time each year to volunteer with nonprofit organizations across Philadelphia through the university’s Office of Community Impact and Civic Engagement.
Sarah Leslie King, social media specialist for the Fox School of Business and School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, used her hours to take part in an organized Owls for Philly clean-up event at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center in North Philadelphia.
Here is her story:
All photos courtesy of Sarah Leslie King.
All photos courtesy of Sarah Leslie King.
Hello! My name is Sarah Leslie King. I am the social media specialist at Temple University’s Fox School of Business and School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management. I am typically behind the scenes on the schools’ social media accounts, however, today I stepped in front of the camera to document my day as a volunteer for Recreation Center Rejuvenation Day!
The Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, site of my volunteer day!
The Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center is between 21st and 22nd streets on Cecil B. Moore Avenue, so just a hop, skip and a jump from campus. The other group participating in Rejuvenation Day was focused on Dendy Recreation Center, which is on the other side of campus on 10th Street.
Right off the jump, everyone was hard at work. There were rakes, shovels, brooms, trash bags, and gloves galore! I quickly grabbed a bag and went to work!
Before long, I had what we can call an “negative interaction” with a hoard of ants, so it was at that point that I decided picking up garbage in that area of the rec center was not my calling for the day.
As I settled in at a patch of grass/weeds/dirt, I made a new friend! Markita Blair is a staff member who works for Student Health Services and we worked in quiet companionship as I pulled weeds, and she swept up my discarded greenery, root systems and garbage.
While weeding, I discovered what can only be called a worm colony, which I did my best to leave undisturbed. Hey, a community of worms is still part of the Greater Philadelphia and Temple community!
I find weeding to be especially gratifying because the final product is a very clear physical representation of your hard work. (Please observe my weedless corner of the rec center in the photo gallery!)
Just four gals excited about the Owls for Philly initiative!
Not only was today an excellent opportunity to engage with our community in North Philadelphia, but it was also a great way to meet more of my coworkers!
As I took a breather in the makeshift break room, I consorted with some of my fellow Temple peers: Nicole Stilianos from the university’s Community Outreach and Civic and Engagement team, Janis Moore Campbell from Fox’s Center for Student Professional Development (CSPD), and Camille Fallon from undergraduate advising, also at Fox.
My final act of the day was to continue flexing my weeding skills in the perimeter of the jungle gym. By this point, the sun was shining, my back was aching and the rec center was looking fantastic.
We wrapped up by taking a group photo, and Chuck Allen, vice dean at the Fox School, thanked everyone who came to help.
All photos courtesy of Sarah Leslie King.
All photos courtesy of Sarah Leslie King.
Tired, but feeling gratitude and satisfaction with the way I was able to spend my day, I made my way to my car. I rounded out my experience with my favorite beverage–an ice cold, crispy, fountain Coca-Cola.
Major shoutout to both Debbie Campbell and Nicole Stilianos of the Office of Community Impact and Civic Engagement for coordinating today’s efforts. Their orchestration of the Temple community joining with Philly’s annual April citywide cleanup efforts gave us all the opportunity to engage with the overarching school-wide Owls for Philly initiative, collaborate with our coworkers and help make a difference in our neighborhoods.
Looking forward to next year!