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Meghan & Harry Made A Charitable Donation With A Thoughtful Note For MLK Jr. Day

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While plenty of public figures have paid tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on social media for MLK Day 2021, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry decided to honor the late civil rights leader with an extra special gesture. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Martin Luther King Jr. Day donation helped buy lunch for members of the Los Angeles nonprofit The Mission Continues, which gives military veterans the opportunity help transform communities. In a note to the nonprofit, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex cited Dr. King as the inspiration for their donation.

"In honor of this day of service, and in recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and all that he stood for, we want to send our thanks and gratitude to the team at The Mission Continues," they said in a message to the organization's volunteers, which was later shared by the official Instagram account for the nonprofit. "We're so proud of all the work you're doing to support your community and hope you enjoy this small token of our appreciation. Thank you for your service — today and every day. We look forward to joining you soon. Stay safe, and keep up the good work."

The lunches donated by Meghan and Harry were given to volunteers who are currently working in Compton, which is a city outside of Los Angeles.

Catering was provided by Homegirl Catering, a community social justice organization that employs formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated women. Homegirl Catering is part of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world. In June 2020, Duke and Duchess of Sussex worked with the Homeboy team to help prepare food for the Feed HOPE program, which provides meals to seniors and youths in need across L.A. amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

In November 2020, Harry also helped the L.A. branch of The Mission Continues as they distributed food to locals.

There's a reason why MLK Day is known as "a day on, not a day off." Dr. King was passionate about the power of service, and even in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, there are endless ways you can help serve your community in honor of Dr. King. In his MLK Day tweet, Barack Obama shared a link to several National Day of Service events, many of which can be joined virtually.

Be sure to also check out The Mission Continues and Homeboy Industries to see how you can make a difference.