Biden volunteers at food bank on MLK day of service as Trump spends another day out of sight after riots

President-elect says in a statement to supporters: ‘Service is a fitting way to start to heal, unite, and rebuild this country we love’

President-elect Joe Biden has spent the Martin Luther King Day of Service volunteering alongside his family at the Philabundance food bank in South Philadelphia, while urging Americans across the country to participate in acts of community service.

Donning a baseball cap, face mask and sunglasses, the president-elect and his family was seen loading boxes of canned goods onto conveyer belts at the food bank, located less than 30 miles from his home in Wilmington, Delaware.

Before volunteering at the food bank, Mr Biden recorded a video calling on Americans to participate in the national day of service in their own local communities, posting the message to Twitter with a caption that read: “Service is a fitting way to start to heal, unite, and rebuild this country we love.”

Meanwhile, Donald Trump had no public events featured on his schedule.

The president’s public schedule said he was spending the day participating in many calls and meetings, declining to provide any further details.

As some have noted online, Mr Trump has spent previous years golfing during the national day of service.

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris also participated in volunteer service at a food bank in southeast Washington D.C., along with her husband, Douglas Emhoff. 

In a message posted to Twitter, the vice president-elect wrote: “My mother taught me that service to others not only gives life purpose and meaning, it’s part of the duty each of us has as members of a community.”

The day of service comes just two days before Mr Biden is set to be sworn in on the footsteps of the US Capitol as the next president. 

Washington D.C. has faced enhanced and unprecedented security protocols leading up to the ceremonies following the deadly pro-Trump attacks on the area that left five people dead, including United States Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick.

The inaugural ceremonies will be a mostly virtual spectacle with a theme of “national unity.”