Friendship Village honors King by helping the homeless
Residents and staff of Friendship Village in Schaumburg honored the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday by making sandwiches and assembling brown bag lunches for homeless residents.
"Dr. King's life was dedicated to helping others, and in his memory we will serve the hungry of the Northwest suburbs," said Jeannette Magdaleno, lifelong learning and volunteer coordinator for Friendship Village.
The lunches, which also included fruit and bottled water, were later distributed through Journeys: The Road Home in Palatine and the PADS shelter at the Prince of Peace Church in Hoffman Estates. Both organizations assist homeless individuals in suburban Cook County.
Volunteers at the MLK Day event were also invited to write a note of encouragement included in each lunch.
"We were inspired to launch this service project as we researched homeless statistics in our area," Magdaleno said. "There are 3,000 reported cases of homelessness in suburban Cook County, with 1,200 accessing shelters in the Northwest suburbs alone. There are approximately 400 additional homeless people living on the streets, in cars or throughout forest preserves.
"The residents of Friendship Village are very service-oriented in general, and this project just calls to all of us as we realize how very fortunate we are," she added. "That's not the case for many of our neighbors."
The schedule for the day included two sessions of making sandwiches, each followed by a blessing of the food by a Friendship Village chaplain.
"Dr. King is quoted as having asked, 'Life's most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others?' Magdaleno said. "This is how we are answering that question and paying tribute to this inspirational man."
Friendship Village is a leading Chicago-area retirement community offering a complete continuum of care including independent living garden homes and apartment homes, as well as assisted living, memory support, skilled care, and short- and long-term rehabilitation services.
For information, visit FriendshipVillage.org.