By: Samantha Antrum
Well known for his fight for civil rights and equality, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. embodied a culture of service. So much so, in fact, that the holiday in his honor, observed each year on the third Monday in January, is a federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service, which calls on Americans to volunteer in honor of King’s life and legacy.
In Westchester and Rockland counties, there was no shortage of residents working to make change. Some community members delivered groceries, created food pantries or ran mobile kitchens; others collected and distributed clothing to kids in need or blankets to people without homes.
Whether it was food insecurity, clothing insecurity or economic empowerment, one thing is certain: these community members embodied King’s dedication to service and equality. Read on to learn about five examples of local volunteers recently reported by our staff.
Retired Harrison resident volunteers, delivers food, sorts clothing donations
Paul O’Reilly, a native of the England resort town Bournemouth, has been spending his retired years volunteering. Many of those volunteer hours go towards delivering groceries monthly to clients through Hillside Food Outreach, a Mount Kisco-based nonprofit that feeds families in Westchester, Putnam and Fairfield counties. He also volunteers at 914 Cares in Armonk, where he sorts clothing-drive donations every Monday for the region’s neediest children, from newborns to teens.
“I think it’s a way to give back, ultimately,” O’Reilly said. “Food insecurity is a big deal for a lot of communities and a lot of households. So I’d like to be able to do something about it.”
“Our deliveries help our clients to stay independent, to not have to go into assisted living, which is very important,” he continued.
Read more about Hillside Food Outreach here.
For information about volunteering with Hillside Food Outreach, visit their website.
This article excerpt was originally published by The Journal News on January 17, 2025 and can be viewed here.