GPA Volunteers at Philabundance for MLK Day
By Janay Greene and Gary Wooten
Philadelphia was buzzing with community clean-ups, relief efforts, resource gathering, and services last month during Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Global Philadelphia Association (GPA) eagerly engages in an annual service opportunity in partnership with local organizations that are creating meaningful change in the city.
This year GPA volunteered with Philabundance, whose executive director Loree Jones was the recipient of the 2021 Globy Award for Community Leadership.
GPA spent the morning at the Philabundance warehouse in South Philadelphia sorting and packing containers of food for local delivery. This was a great opportunity to reflect on one of the Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 2 Zero Hunger.
“As a Master of Public Policy student, I think it’s important to volunteer on MLK Day because it reminds me of why I’m in this field - to serve. There are a lot of students who may not have a dream job but they know without a doubt that whatever it is they end up doing after graduation they want to make sure they’re helping people and having a positive impact on people’s lives,” Janay Greene said.
Food insecurity is a persistent issue worldwide, predominantly in urban regions such as Philadelphia. By reducing hunger in our city, we are adhering to one of the most important messages Dr. King left to us, which is to improve our communities both structurally and socially.
GPA hopes to continue the work of Martin Luther King Jr. Day with the work we do every day for our local and global community.
“Martin Luther King devoted his life to serving, inspiring, and helping people. He even played a crucial role in influencing changes in policy and all of what he did was necessary. Volunteering is necessary, and MLK day is a much-needed and inspiring reminder that positive change is not out of reach. We just have to keep doing the work that will improve our society day by day, especially when time is the only expense,” Greene added.