Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us, “Everyone can be great because everybody can serve.” BAPS Charities observed the Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday through service, as a way to begin the new year with a commitment to making our community a better place. While the devastating impact on people’s lives and health due to COVID -19 has made last year a challenging one, the pandemic has also negatively impacted the economy and the financial strength of many. For many, the loss of income has led to “food insecurity” or has caused challenges to having access to nutritious food.
In the spirit of service and Dr. King, on January 17, 2021, on the eve of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, BAPS Charities partnered with California State Senator Josh Newman, who represents the BAPS Charities headquarters in Southern California, to donate close to 1,000 pounds of canned and non-perishable goods to the Second Harvest Orange County affiliated food pantry at Anaheim United Methodist Church.
Senator Newman stressed the importance of the community coming together on this day. “The pandemic has been mild for some, but devastating for many others. Activities like food drives are essential to keep people fed and housed during times like these. Partnerships and donations like these truly capture the spirit of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and day of service.
As a part of a focus on food insecurity perpetuated by the pandemic, BAPS Charities in Los Angeles mobilized food donations to homeless shelters, food banks, and low-income communities.
Lee Strohm, a volunteer for the Anaheim United Methodist Church’s food pantry shared his gratitude. “Donations like these are essential to feed our community, especially during this time. The food pantry at Anaheim United Methodist Church serves people from Anaheim and beyond and the need continues to grow each and every day. Thank you BAPS Charities for your donation and partnership.”
On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 18, 2021, BAPS Charities donated close to 1,000 pounds of canned and non-perishable goods to a drive-thru food giveaway event hosted and organized by California Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes, CAIR-LA, and Sahaba Initiative. BAPS Charities volunteers also joined the event and helped prepare hundreds of bags of food to be given to people in need in the area.
Assemblymember Reyes shared a reminder about the spirit of MLK Day and shared her gratitude to BAPS Charities. “On this day, it is so inspiring to see so many come together to help our community. As the pandemic continues, we need to do more and more of these types of events; especially as food insecurity increases in our community. Thank you for joining us today to make a difference.”
Samay and Niyati Patel, both siblings and BAPS Charities volunteers that live in the area, volunteered their time for the event. “Service is a powerful way to commemorate and honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We are honored to be BAPS Charities volunteers and humbled to spend our day off serving our community during these unprecedented times.” BAPS Charities thanks all of the volunteers and donors of diverse ages and backgrounds who came together to help the community.
As a part of a focus on food insecurity perpetuated by the pandemic, BAPS Charities in Los Angeles has mobilized food donations to homeless shelters, food banks, and low-income communities. Volunteers have also donated hot meals, PPE, non-perishable foods, and essential items to the Midnight Mission on Skid Row, the homeless youth organization Youth Emerging Stronger, and a drive-thru food giveaway co-hosted by Congresswoman Young Kim (CA-39).
Donations were collected while observing appropriate masking and social distance guidelines to protect the health of everyone involved. In the midst of the financial and food insecurity that this pandemic has given rise to for numerous families; BAPS Charities aims to consistently provide all types of assistance for those struggling in such unprecedented times. Working alongside neighborhoods in need, BAPS Charities continues its mission to impact and uplift individuals and communities for the better.
