Martin Luther King Day is not just another federal holiday from work. Thousands of volunteers in all 50 states will join together to serve in community projects including cleaning, painting, feeding and caring for a variety of needs near and dear to them. Orlando is no exception. Many projects began today and will extend until Monday, January 21, the actual MLK Day where most businesses will remain open but federal offices and schools will be closed.
Many of these volunteers and organizations continue to recruit volunteers year round, including Orlando’s Hands of Orlando, a non-profit organization that helps other non-profit organizations across Orlando, organize, identify, manage and lead community projects. Hands of Orlando will lead hundreds of volunteers on a dozen projects this weekend.
Short or long term projects and needs are never ending. MLK Day is a time to bring awareness of the needs in your community. One person can make a difference.
Christy Porter, Founder of Hidden Harvest in Riverside County, California heard a report from UCLA that one out of two seniors could not afford to feed themselves. Porter decided to create Senior Markets to provide left over vegetables from farms that would otherwise go to waste. Porter’s project not only provides food for seniors, it provides work for the impoverished. Volunteers are needed regularly to help sort, bag and package food boxes as well as helping at Senior Markets. For more information on volunteering click on How to Help at Hidden Harvest.
Read more of Monica Lehua's articles on Food and Cooking at Orlando Cooking Examiner.
