Record-number of volunteers honored Martin Luther King Jr. with Day of Service fighting hunger at Oregon Food Bank

Portland, January 20th, 2014.  680 volunteers honored Martin Luther King Jr. with a Day of Service by repacking food and sorting food-drive donations at two Oregon Food Bank facilities.

In answer to Dr. King’s famous call to action – “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others?’” – Congress passed this sanctioned Day of Service challenging Americans to transform the King Holiday into a day of citizen action. Hundreds of Bank of America volunteers, as well as other community volunteers, processed over 100,000 pounds of food – equivalent to more than 83,000 meals, and as much as the two facilities process in a regular work week.

“We are grateful for all the volunteers giving their time in the spirit of service embodied by Dr. King. Together we can make significant strides toward eliminating hunger in Oregon,” said Sarah Schirmer, Oregon Food Bank Corporate and Foundation Relations Developer.

“I look forward to this event every year,” said Roger Hinshaw, Oregon and southwest Washington market president at Bank of America. “It’s a moving experience to see so many people working side-by-side to honor Dr. King’s legacy. Bank of America is committed to strengthening our community, and by supporting Oregon Food Bank, we’re helping make the connection between our neighbors in need and the resources to address the immediate crisis of hunger so they focus on creating a more financially stable future.”

MLK Jr. Day of Service at Oregon Food Bank was presented by Bank of America with funding support from Bank of America and PacifiCorp. Olive Garden provided hot meals for volunteers at both facilities.