On Monday morning, several dozen Spectrum Health employees chose to take a half paid day off to volunteer at Feeding America West Michigan. Emily D’Anne was one of them and she spent her morning weighing, and repackaging bulk cereal into individual servings.
“So we are getting 2 pounds of cereal per bag and then all of those get tied up and put into the bins behind us. So, I think the hardest job is behind us getting into those huge boxes of cereal.”
Norma Tirado was one of the coordinators of the event and she says serving is one of the best ways to honor Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy.
“He said that life’s most urgent and pressing question was: what are you doing for others? So the best way to honor him is to do things for others and particularly focus on the most vulnerable and communities of color are some of the most vulnerable.”
Every hour of volunteer work at Feeding America contributes to 200 meals, according to Francesca El Monte who coordinates volunteers within the organization.
“To have that many people here with smiles and ready to work really really makes the day and week go by better. To have 60 of them this week is really going to put some numbers out and that’s going to be great.”
This year set a new engagement record with over 600 Spectrum Health employees committed to volunteering all over West Michigan.
Michelle Jokisch Polo, WGVU News.