MLK Day of Service in Ela Township

In the 1965 speech "Let My People Go," Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "While millions enjoy an unexampled opulence in developed nations, ten thousand people die of hunger each and every day of the year in the undeveloped world."

In Ela Township, many people have been blessed to live solidly middle and upper income lives. While we don't know people who are dying from hunger in our communities, we have community members who are living in the shadow of wealth, experiencing food insecurity, and struggling to pay for basic necessities.

Nearly 3% of Ela Township residents live in poverty. (Census Reporter) Children, senior citizens, and families are living in poverty. Approximately 13% of Lake Zurich School District 95 students receive free and reduced lunch, and they are not performing at the same standards for English and mathematics as the school district averages. (Illinois School Report Card for Lake Zurich School District 95) Hunger affects the ability to perform well academically. It's a distraction and social problem that we can help to eradicate.

We have the resources within our communities to help do something about food insecurity, to improve the health of our most vulnerable residents, and to show people a way out of poverty.

In honor of Martin Luther King Day of Service, we gathered food and supplies to make a dent in the food needs of Ela Township residents. We are giving to the Lake Zurich Food Pantry, an organization that is mobilizing volunteers and donations to distribute nutritious groceries to families in our own communities. We encourage our friends and neighbors to join with us in making a difference and bringing others along for the success of our communities.