Early Monday morning, Callie Clausnitzer sat amid hundreds of students, waiting to spend her Martin Luther King Jr. Day volunteering throughout the community.

"It's a holiday for everyone," the education sophomore said. "I just thought I'd pay my respects."

Clausnitzer was one of 382 students who participated in the fourth annual Into the Streets MLK Jr. Service Project.

The day began with long lines and free bagels as students signed up to perform volunteer work at 17 locations throughout the Lansing area.

Despite chilly weather and a 9:15 a.m. registration, organizers said the student turnout was the largest in years.

"Every year it's getting bigger and bigger," said psychology senior Katherine Stephenson, who has participated in the program for two years. "It's great to see the numbers increase."

The student-run organization holds a few large service events each year.

Many students participate with groups they belong to, such as sororities, fraternities or clubs.

"I heard about it from my National Honors Society," said kinesiology senior Christine Lanser. "It's nice to see how many people showed up."

Stephenson said that entire classes came this year, encouraged by their professors to perform community service.

Civil engineering senior Sam Baushke was on hand to help students sign up for the event.

"Performing community service isn't difficult and is worth the time," he said. "It's fun. You meet a lot of people - good people."

About a dozen students were sent to Volunteers of America, 430 N. Larch St. in Lansing, where the task was to clean a kitchen and serve lunch to clients.

The students donned white kitchen smocks, trading their winter mittens and hats for rubber gloves and hair nets.

Christine Lenahen, volunteer coordinator for Volunteers for America, said that the establishment depends on the service of organizations such as Into the Streets.

"We really shine and excel with volunteers," she said.

Spanish senior Natalie Gonder has participated in the service project for a few years.

As she prepared to serve lunch to clients, Gonder said she enjoyed volunteering on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, even though it's a day off from school.

"It's a day to serve, to give back to the community and to remember Martin Luther King," she said.

"It was hard to get up, knowing we didn't have class, but when I think about what he had to go through, this is nothing."