MLK Day honored by volunteers at Colorado Springs food bank

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - The Care and Share food bank for Southern Colorado is celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day by hosting dozens of volunteers.

Event organizers say Martin Luther King Jr. believed in helping everyone in need, and that's exactly what they aspire to do.

"Martin Luther King Day is a great day of service, unity and coming together to help each other in our communities," Care and Share CEO Lynne Telford told KRDO.

The Care and Share Food Bank hosted two groups of thirty volunteers Monday.

"It's not just the food that we're packing in these boxes, we're kind of packing love up in the boxes," volunteer McKinsey Doole said. "MLK day is important, but everyday you should be volunteering."

The food bank could only host around half the number of volunteers it usually has on MLK day because of COVID-19 precautions. But for everyone who couldn't come Monday, there are plenty of open spots to volunteer other day.

Some seniors and corporations have opted out of volunteering in recent months due to the health risk.

"We rely on this community to come as individuals and help us do the work. We can't feed the people of Southern Colorado without volunteers," Telford explained.

The food bank has provided 50% more food to the community in recent months, as families and single people continue to struggle financially because of COVID-19 restrictions on business.

Even with the extra need the food bank is already providing for, Care and Share wants other people to know it's here.

"If somebody has the courage to say 'I'm hungry and I need help,' we try to help them," Telford said.

Click here to learn how you can get involved or get food from the Care and Share Food Bank.