By Mike DeNardo

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Organizers have announced the local service projects for the Martin Luther King Day of Service, later this month.

The plans include an honor for our late KYW Newsradio colleague, Karin Phillips.

It’s expected that 85,000 people will volunteer to take part in 1,300 community service efforts in the tri-state area on January 16th, Martin Luther King Day.

The centerpiece project will be a battle against hunger — with a canned food drive for local food banks.  Volunteers at Girard College will also assemble 100,000 meals for the program “Stop Hunger Now,” says the group’s advisory board chair, Shelton Mercer.

“These meal packets go to developing nations all throughout the world,” Mercer says.  “We have partners on the ground — about 45 nations.  It’s rice, dehydrated vegetables, whole grains, and a protein vitamin pack.  And people are assembling those in assembly-line fashion.”

(Karin Phillips.)

Organizers also dedicated the MLK media work room at Girard College to KYW community affairs reporter Karin Phillips (right), who covered Martin Luther King Day for years, until her death last September (see related story).

Karin’s mom, Doris Phillips, and friend Kyle Ruffin were also on hand for the dedication.

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