MLK Day of Service brings Reston Hospital staff and Herndon High student together to Fight Teen Hunger

Contributed by Food for Neighbors

Reston resident Aiden Smith helps collect food on MLK Day of Service. Photo contributed by Food for Neighbors

Volunteers from Reston and Herndon turned the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service on Jan.19 into a day of action, volunteering with Food For Neighbors to help restock school food pantries serving local students.

Now in its ninth year, the Reston-based nonprofit works with area middle and high schools to operate in-house food pantries, relying on community volunteers and donations collected through its Red Bag Program. This year’s MLK Day of Service drew support from across the community, including staff from Reston Hospital Center and a first-time volunteer from Herndon High School.

Despite cold winter temperatures, more than 800 volunteers participated across Northern Virginia, gathering, sorting and delivering food. The effort resulted in a record 31,186 pounds of food collected to support more than 10,000 students facing food insecurity in Fairfax, Loudoun and Arlington counties.

Reston Hospital Center contributed nearly 300 pounds of food. Sarah Murray of Reston Hospital organized doctors and staff from the ICU and trauma departments, finding a creative solution to busy schedules by making a food donation the “admission ticket” to the hospital’s holiday gathering.

“Each bag of food matters,” said Karen Joseph, founder and executive director of Food For Neighbors. “It represents one less student going hungry. Community partners like Reston Hospital help ensure school pantries are stocked for students who rely on them.”

At a Food For Neighbors sorting site, Jack, a Herndon High School ninth-grader, volunteered for the first time. “It was good to help out in a new way in our own community,” he said.

His mother, Katie, has previously volunteered as a Food For Neighbors driver, picking up donation bags from neighborhood homes. “I’ve seen how a small impact brings big results when all those donations are added together,” she said. “It’s inspiring to see how our community comes together to help students in need.”