CAMDEN, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — People from around the region participated in Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at Cooper Hospital in Camden, where volunteers gave out boxes of food to people in need.
Volunteers, all bundled up against the winter cold, handed off boxes full of food to people who walked up, or loaded them into cars who drove up. Drivers didn’t even have to get out of their cars. All they had to do was pop the trunk.
The prepackaged giveaways came from the Food Bank of South Jersey.
Francess Bowen-Metzger with Cooper, who helped organize this event, says organizers learned a few things after doing it for the first time last year. For one thing, not everyone who comes has a kitchen.
“We got that feedback asking for more ready-to-eat meals, so we were able to provide that this year,” Bowen-Metzger said.
Also, not everyone has a can opener.
“So, for example, pop-up cans,” Bowen-Metzger said. “Once we give them a can of food, whether it’s a can of carrots, corn, whatever the case may be, it has a pop-up can, so they’ll be able to open and eat it immediately without the need of a can opener.”
She says, while the temperature was low, her heart was kept warm by everyone who was there to help serve the community as part of the hospital’s mission of service, which also aligns with King’s vision.
“What’s grounding me in this cold is just knowing what I’m doing is worth it,” she said.
“I am so happy that I am part of this community and that I am able to help our community with food insecurity.”