Village of Hamburg food drive part of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

On Monday, Jan. 20, The Western New York Regional Volunteer Center, in partnership with The Service Collaborative of Western New York Inc. and United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with the Village of Hamburg and the Food Bank of Western New York. AmeriCorps members, students and community volunteers will mobilize to turn Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and teachings into community action.

More than 400 volunteers will work together to collect canned/nonperishable goods from the front porch of each household in the Village of Hamburg. A plastic bag will be provided to each village household a week prior to the event. The Western New York YouthBuild Program has spearheaded this event.

Village of Hamburg residents can leave a plastic bag filled with canned/nonperishable goods on their front porches before 8:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20. Volunteers will collect goods throughout the village between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

For non-village residents,
there will be a drop-off location at the Hamburg Memorial Youth Center, 200 Prospect Ave., Hamburg. Volunteers will be located outside the building to receive donations between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves society closer to Dr. King's vision of a beloved community.

The Western New York Regional Volunteer Center is a collaboration that promotes and enhances local volunteer efforts. Working with local nonprofits, the center's goal is to build the volunteer infrastructure in the region so that more people are able to make a difference. For more information, visit www.volunteerwny.org.

The Service Collaborative of WNY, an independent nonprofit organization, creates opportunities for all individuals to serve, challenging citizens to turn their ideals into action and their passion into positive change. Through transformational service and civic responsibility, The Service Collaborative of WNY is aims to design a sustainable future for this nation's communities.

YouthBuild is an alternative education program that offers individuals ages 16-24 training and practical experience for "in-demand" industry careers through community revitalization projects, while also helping them to earn a GED certificate.