On January 16, a group of Ben's Lighthouse youth volunteers gathered at Trinity Church to prepare and pack 80 bagged lunches for Dorothy Day Hospitality House in Danbury. By dedicating their time on Dr Martin Luther King Day, the volunteers honored the legacy of service left by Dr King and demonstrated that Martin Luther King, Jr, Day is a "day on," not a day off.

The project, titled "Serving Lunch With Love," was coordinated by a group of high school volunteers who guided more than 20 volunteers in grades 5-8 in small group activities throughout the afternoon.

Activities focused on the role of empathy and compassion in making a difference in the lives of others.

After beginning the afternoon with a lesson on Dr King and his monumental legacy, the group launched into the project, gathering around a large kitchen table to assemble the sandwiches. The volunteers handled the project efficiently, filling the kitchen counter with an ever-growing stack of completed sandwiches and filled lunch bags.

To close the session, the volunteers took some time to reflect on their service experience and record their dreams and goals, inspired by Dr King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

Rebecca Cosgrove, Ben's Lighthouse program manager, reflected on the day.

"We are so proud of the commitment of our youth volunteers, and inspired by their desire to take action to make a difference in lives of others, both through service and in their daily lives," she said.