MLK Day of Service Brings Hope to Hearts

2021 is off to the races to bring relief to neighbors 

The great civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said the problem of hunger hardly stems from not having the tools to address it. 

“There is no deficit in human resources. The deficit is in human will.”  

Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) refuses to let complacency and inertia fester around the issue of hunger. It addresses the problem head-on, especially on Dr. King’s birthday every January. For several years now, IRUSA has conducted a Day of Service on Martin Luther King Day, holding food distributions in many urban centers around the country. 

Ready to Respond

The need for such meals was even greater this year. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic early last year, some 50 million people in the United States had experienced some food insecurity, according to Feeding America. Millions of them have had to visit food banks, many of them for the first time. 

From Jan. 15 to 18, IRUSA’s meal distributions took place in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Illinois; Houston, Texas, Oakland, California, Dallas, Texas, Sacramento, California, Miami, Florida, Edison, New Jersey, among other locations. 

Hearts and Hands on Deck

At each location, IRUSA volunteers and community-based organizations distributed approximately 300 meals. The meals were prepared by vendors of halal food. 

The meals helped some of the most vulnerable populations gain access to nutritious food, something that’s become increasingly difficult during the present public health crisis. Many people have lost their jobs or seen their incomes plummet, meaning less money to buy food.  

Dr. King’s legacy reminds us that compassion is essential for society to address formidable issues. The IRUSA food distribution on his birthday exemplified that human attribute.