ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 While many people spent Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day at home, thousands of volunteers across Central Florida marked the holiday with service \u2014 packing meals for families facing hunger.<\/p>\n
About 5,000 volunteers gathered Monday at the Orange County Convention Center for the annual Pack a Million Meals event, working together to prepare food that will be distributed to families in need throughout the community.<\/p>\n
The event, held in honor of Dr. King\u2019s legacy, challenged volunteers to pack 1 million meals in a single day. Organizers said the goal was well within reach.<\/p>\n
Among the volunteers was Wreshad Pierre, a high school student with the MLK Humanitarian Group, who said the event was about turning Dr. King\u2019s message into action.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s truly an honor to be around an individual that has inspired and has driven to represent MLK\u2019s message \u2014 what he left with us and his purpose,\u201d Pierre said.<\/p>\n
People of all ages and backgrounds pitched in, including young children. For Octavia Murry, the event marked her third year volunteering.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s rewarding,\u201d Murry said. \u201cYou know that you\u2019re impacting the hunger issue we have here.\u201d<\/p>\n
For others, the day carried a deeper personal meaning. Volunteer Sydney Miller, a veterinary student from outside Philadelphia, said MLK Day was an opportunity to give back while honoring Dr. King\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnytime I can give back, especially for Martin Luther King, who was such a great Black role model, I\u2019m going to involve myself,\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n
Volunteers worked assembly-line style, pouring lentils and rice into bins before funneling the ingredients into individual bags. Each bag was weighed for consistency, heat-sealed to stay fresh, labeled, and packed into boxes. The boxes were then stacked onto pallets and wrapped for shipping.<\/p>\n
All the meals prepared were red lentil jambalaya \u2014 chosen because it is heart-healthy and packed with protein and nutrients, organizers said.<\/p>\n
Brandon Perreira with U.S. Hunger said the event was moving quickly from the start.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo far from the first check at 300,000, we\u2019re on track to hit that goal today,\u201d Perrerira said.<\/p>\n
Just an hour later, organizers announced another milestone \u2014 700,000 meals packed.<\/p>\n
Organizers say the meals will help support hungry families across Orange County and the nation in the weeks and months ahead.<\/p>\n
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