LYNNFIELD — Volunteers gathered in the house of Darlene Kumar, president of Lynnfield for Love, on Sunday evening to help assemble 100 dinner kits as a part of a MLK Day service project for My Brother’s Table in Lynn.
Lynnfield for Love was formed in the aftermath of the 2016 election and the divisive environment it created and has since helped organize events that promote unity and an appreciation of diversity within the community.
This mission of love is a perfect example of everything Martin Luther King Jr. stood for. So, Kumar and the other board members decided that MLK Day weekend was the perfect time to hold a dinner kit drive.
In addition to filling the goodie bags, Lynnfield for Love volunteers were also crafting messages on letters, something that comes from the group’s Valentine’s Day tradition of writing letters to veterans in the Sunshine Senior Living facility.
“It’s so cute because the veterans will be blushing saying ‘This is for me?’” Kumar said, reflecting the custom that they decided to bring to this week’s MLK Day project.
While Lynnfield for Love has been active in collaborating for events like the Multicultural Celebration at Lynnfield Middle School in 2023, they haven’t been able to initiate a food drive like this since the pandemic.
“So, we said, ‘let’s do something for us,’” Kumar said. “We wanted to get everyone together, get the community together.”
In the process, Kumar and the other Lynnfield for Love volunteers, many of whom are part of a younger generation, honor King and remember that famous dream he had for this country.
“It’s nice because we can do it as a family. It’s really all ages that can help,” longtime Lynnfield for Love member Jeana Tecci said.
Early today, as most of America slept in on their Monday off, volunteers from the organization delivered the kits to My Brother’s Table in a show of true unconditional love for community and a representation of the unity that everyone should strive to honor on this holiday.
