Looking to join in on a volunteer effort on Jan. 20, a national Day of Service to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day?
The Forest Park PTO and Forest Park School District 91 are organizing a Day of Service by packing and donating 9,500 meals Jan. 20 at Grant White Elementary School.
The non-perishable food items, packed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to celebrate his impact, will be donated to the Forest Park Fridge and Pantry at the Howard Mohr Community Center.
The PTO and D91 are also accepting donations of toiletries and household supplies before and during the Day of Service, which will be donated to the Forest Park Library Comfort Cabinet.
Launched in the winter of 2021, the Forest Park Library’s Comfort Cabinet collects donated toiletry items to hand out for free to those in need. The cabinet, located in the commons on the library’s main level, contains kits packed with hats and gloves, toothbrushes and toothpaste, tissues, lip balm and lotion.
The Howard Mohr Community Center unveiled its community fridge in early 2023. Outside the community center on the north side of the building, the fridge holds refrigerated and frozen food that is free to those experiencing food or housing insecurity. There’s also an adjacent pantry with nonperishable items. Volunteers restock the fridge and pantry regularly, but anyone can drop off donations – as long as they don’t contain peanuts, alcohol, raw milk, meat or fish. They also can’t be homemade and must have a labeled ingredient list.
This Day of Service takes place Jan. 20 at Grant White Elementary School’s gym at 147 Circle Ave. from 9 to 11 a.m. and 12 to 2 p.m. Sign up through the event’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/972505868054746/?ref_source=NEWS_FEED&_rdr.
