Arlington Heights church collects meals, different necessities for King vacation ‘day of service’ – Chicago Tribune

The day of service at First Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights began Sunday and continued Monday, with donors dropping off gadgets to profit the church’s annual neighborhood meals and family necessities drive in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. vacation.

Beginning Sunday, volunteers on the church helped accumulate things like family cleaners, toiletries and canned meals to profit the Wheeling Township meals pantry.

This 12 months was the fifth annual MLK occasion, stated Michele Holifield of Arlington Heights, the church’s MLK occasion coordinator and organizer.

“For me, I assume the dream is that we simply maintain at the present time alive,” stated Michele Holifield, referring to the slain Civil Rights Motion chief’s famed “I Have A Dream” speech. Holifield helped coordinate the drive on the church.

“MLK Day is de facto imagined to be a day of doing one thing for others,” she stated. “I hope that he can be glad that we’re doing one thing. … I’d should suppose he’d in all probability hope we had been doing much more however I hope that he would at the least be glad that we’re nonetheless attempting.”

Kurt and Darah Landwehr, of Palatine, volunteered for the gathering drive with their kids Susanna, 11, Everett, 8, and Charlie, 13.

“It’s necessary to set an instance for the children and to point out them it’s necessary to present again to the neighborhood,” stated Kurt Landwehr, who can be a church member.

Darah Landwehr stated volunteering for the MLK occasion is nice to do as a household.

Her 11-year-old daughter remarked on the impression she feels the enduring King, who additionally obtained the Nobel Peace Prize, had on society.

“I feel he simply wished to alter the world and, I don’t know, I feel we’re doing that. I feel we’re serving to change,” stated Susanna Landwehr.

Monday was the primary MLK day of service at this church for Susan Weller, of Arlington Heights. She just lately moved to the village from Libertyville and have become a part of th First Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights congregation.

“I’m impressed,” Weller stated. “I wished to be in a church that had a program about social justice, and right here I’m.

“It’s the one vacation that asks us to do one thing … this vacation asks us to serve. I’m pleased to be right here.”

Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer.