SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (WGGB) — In the spirit of Martin Luther King Day, groups of college & high school students decided to spend their day off helping others.

“Count Me In,” a group formed as a way to heal after the Pheobe Prince tragedy, went to 5,000 houses around town Saturday distributing empty grocery bags.

Attached were notes asking for food donations, to benefit “Neighbors Helping Neighbors,” the town’s food pantry.

They sorted the food today at South Hadley High and were overwhelmed by the response.

“…South Hadley, not many people think about the need here. not perceived as a community in need, when in fact there are hundreds of people that need it and South Hadley really has a spirit of service. All these people are here on their own free will. It’s incredible. I’ve never seen a spirit of service like this before,” says Caitlin Kidder, Community-based Learning Program Fellow from Mt. Holyoke College.

Kidder estimates they collected about 10,000 pounds of food.