Aug 29, 2024 | Featured, In the News, Meals of Hope News, News
Imagine a bustling gymnasium filled with laughter, music, and the sound of hundreds of hands working together. This lively scene is a meal packing event organized by Meals of Hope, a dedicated meal packing organization.
People from all backgrounds come together, creating an atmosphere charged with energy and a shared sense of purpose. Families, friends, and coworkers unite to address the pressing issue of hunger. As nutritious meals are carefully packed into boxes, more than just food is being prepared. Connections are formed, spirits are lifted, and a deep sense of accomplishment fills the room. These community engagement events bring people together and create a lasting positive impact on the community. Each meal packing volunteer leaves with a renewed commitment to making a difference, understanding the significant economic impact of hunger and the power of community impact events.
Energizing Communities Through Volunteering
Meals of Hope’s events are designed to bring out the best in communities. Each meal packing volunteer plays a crucial role, from assembling the meals to distributing them to those in need. These events are open to all, welcoming participants from various backgrounds and ages. The inclusive nature of these gatherings strengthens community bonds and encourages ongoing participation in community service.
Children and teenagers, in particular, benefit immensely from these volunteer opportunities. Participating in meal packing teaches young people important values such as empathy, teamwork, and responsibility. It provides them with a firsthand understanding of social issues like hunger and poverty, encouraging a sense of gratitude and compassion. Young volunteers often leave these events with a greater awareness of their ability to impact the world positively. This experience can inspire them to continue engaging in volunteer work and community service throughout their lives.
For families, volunteering together at Meals of Hope events can be a bonding experience that strengthens family ties. Working side by side to help others teaches children the importance of giving back and shows them the power of collective effort. Parents and guardians model civic responsibility and community involvement, instilling these values in the next generation.
Businesses and corporations also find immense value in participating in Meals of Hope events. Company give-back days and corporate volunteer programs can be powerful tools for building teamwork and enhancing corporate social responsibility. Employees working together in a meal packing event experience a sense of unity and purpose that translates into a more cohesive and motivated workforce. These events offer companies an opportunity to give back to the community, improve their public image, and contribute to a meaningful cause.
Adults gain a deep sense of fulfillment and purpose through their participation. They witness firsthand the difference their work makes, fueling a desire to continue supporting their community. These events highlight the power of unity and collective action, proving that when people come together, they can achieve remarkable outcomes.
Addressing the Economic Impact of Hunger
Hunger is not just a humanitarian issue but also an economic one. The economic impact of hunger affects education, employment, and overall community well-being. Meals of Hope addresses this by providing essential nutrition to those in need. By alleviating food insecurity, the organization helps individuals focus on other critical aspects of their lives, such as education and job opportunities. The meals packed during these events support the local economy by sourcing ingredients from local suppliers, which in turn strengthens the community’s economic foundation.
The Ripple Effect of Positive Change
The impact of Meals of Hope extends far beyond the meals packed and distributed. Each event serves as a powerful reminder of what can be achieved through collective effort. Community impact events like these inspire participants to take action in their daily lives. Many volunteers develop a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by those experiencing hunger and become advocates for change. This heightened awareness can lead to increased donations, support for local food programs, and even policy changes that address the root causes of hunger.
Be Part of the Solution
Meals of Hope invites everyone to join this growing movement. Hosting a meal packing event, volunteering, or making a donation can make a significant difference. These events are celebrations of the power of collective action and the belief that no one should go hungry. By participating, you become part of a community that not only provides food but also hope and opportunity for a better future.
Join Meals of Hope and experience the incredible power of coming together and inspiring action. Together, we can turn the act of meal packing into a catalyst for lasting change, showing that when people unite for a common cause, remarkable things happen.
Nov 16, 2023 | Featured, In the News, Meals of Hope News, News
Courtesy of CBS News 12
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Dozens of Palm Beach Atlantic University students and staff spent their Tuesday evening packing meals for hope.
Their goal was to pack 50,000 meals in two hours for people in need in Palm Beach County.
The university is partnering with, “Meals for Hope,” a non-profit with food pantries servicing Palm Beach County.
Members of the organization say the need for food assistance has grown since the pandemic.
“The need at our food pantries and at all food pantries has done nothing but explode this year. We realize during COVID-19 people were struggling, but the reality is that there are more people that are needing to go get food assistance today than ever before,” said CEO Stephen Popper.
The volunteers consisted of students and staff from Palm Beach Atlantic’s Titus Center for Franchising.
“We are being kind to each other, which would include helping to feed people who are hungry here in Palm Beach County, may not seem like it’s possible, but people are hungry,” said Dr. John Hayes.
The packaged meals will be delivered to a food pantry in Belle Glade.
Learn More about Meals of Hope
Ready to make a difference in your community? To learn more about Meals of Hope, read more here. To get you or your organization involved in our next meal packing event, fill out our form here. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Oct 26, 2023 | Uncategorized
Courtesy of Cumberland Times-News
Alison Crabtree, left and Ireland McGann, fifth graders at Calvary Christian Academy, measure macaroni to be packaged into meals Wednesday for the sixth annual Calvary Cares project, which helps tackle food insecurity in the region. Students, staff and volunteers worked from stations set up in assembly-line fashion — bagging, measuring, adding soy and noodles, weighing, sealing and packing — to prepare 20,000 meals as part of the project, a partnership with Florida-based Meals of Hope. The meals were delivered to organizations throughout the area.
Learn More about Meals of Hope
Ready to make a difference in your community? To learn more about Meals of Hope, read more here. To get you or your organization involved in our next meal packing event, fill out our form here. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Aug 30, 2023 | Uncategorized
Courtesy of LongIsland.com
On September 11, 2023, more than 4,500 New Yorkers will spend the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy supporting the community, by packing 1.5 million healthy, non-perishable meals aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. The meals will be donated by the event’s organizer, the nonprofit 9/11 Day, that day to City Harvest and Food Bank For New York City to support individuals and families at risk of hunger across the New York City area.
According to Feeding America, one in four Americans experience food insecurity every day.
Now in its 7th year, the New York City Meal Pack for 9/11 Day, which will be staged over the course of two days, on Monday, September 11, and Tuesday, September 12, has grown to become the largest volunteer service project held in America in observance of the 9/11 anniversary.
More than 120 companies from the NYC – NJ -CT area plan to send employee volunteers to the event, including major sponsors JPMorgan Chase, Citi, KPMG, Mizuho, FactSet, Fox Corporation, Major League Baseball, Intercontinental Exchange, Pfizer, Flagstar Bank, and Merrill Lynch. Helping 9/11 Day co-host this year’s NYC event are the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, City Harvest, Food Bank For New York City, NYC Service and New York Cares.
Nationally, the 9/11 Day Meal Pack program is being supported by AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, Citi, United Airlines, JPMorgan Chase, Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., and KPMG.
20,000 Meal Pack Volunteers Will Pack More Than Six Million Meals Nationwide
Nationwide, the NYC Meal Pack for 9/11 Day is one of 18 large-scale volunteer service projects that 9/11 Day is staging this September, with support from the AmeriCorps, which oversees the nation’s federal volunteer service programs. Across the nation, more than 20,000 volunteers, representing about 400 U.S. companies, prominent nonprofits, professional sports leagues, faith-based groups, military veterans and others, will join together in unity and in observance of 9/11 and Hunger Action Month, to pack a record 6.5 million meals for food insecure Americans.
All of the meals will be donated to local food banks, many of them affiliated with Feeding America. 9/11 Day is sourcing the food ingredients for the meals and receiving logistical support from meal packing partners US Hunger, Meals of Hope, Kids Around The World and The Pack Shack.
9/11 Day and AmeriCorps will be helping to support 9/11-related meal packing volunteer events for the first time on 11 college campuses, including at University of Alabama Birmingham, Illinois State University, Monroe College, Prairie View A&M University, Ross State University, University of New England, Boise State University, Harding University, Morgan State University, The Ohio State University, and University of North Georgia.
The nonprofit 9/11 Day was founded six months after the September 11, 2001, attacks by friends David Paine and Jay Winuk, who have dedicated their lives to transforming the anniversary of 9/11 into a nationwide day of doing good, in tribute to those lost and injured, and in honor of the many who bravely rose in service in response to the 9/11 tragedy. Winuk lost his brother Glenn J. Winuk on 9/11. Glenn was an attorney and volunteer firefighter/EMT who was killed in the line of duty in the collapse of the World Trade Center South Tower.
9/11 Day Now America’s Largest Day of Service
In 2009, 9/11 Day successfully secured passage of legislation in the U.S. Congress, and a Presidential Proclamation, that officially established September 11th as an annually-observed National Day of Service and Remembrance under federal law, and which is now the nation’s largest annual day of charitable engagement. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday is the only other federally designated Day of Service. Today, more than 30 million Americans participate in 9/11 Day annually by volunteering, making donations, and doing other “good deeds,” which many Americans now share through social media messages posted on September 11, using the hashtag #IWillFor911Day.
“The 9/11 Day observance is a powerful reminder of the extraordinary sense of unity we experienced after the attacks, and is an important, uplifting and appropriate way for millions of Americans to pay tribute through kindness and acts of service,” said Winuk.
“In the hours, days and weeks immediately following the 9/11 attacks, Americans were able to see that whatever differences we think we have pale in comparison to what we all share as human beings – our innate kindness, compassion and concern for the well-being of others,” Paine added. “9/11 Day is about rekindling that spirit of compassion, and bringing it forward in our lives as a reminder of who we really are as people.”
“Our lives have been shaped by how we, as a country, came together to respond in the wake of 9/11,” said Michael D. Smith, CEO, AmeriCorps, which provides opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds to serve their country, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, and improve lives and communities. “Through a spirit of unity and an enduring commitment to our most cherished values, the 9/11 Day of Service provides Americans an opportunity to reflect, remember and take action, knowing we’re unstoppable when we stand together.”
More About 9/11 Day
The 9/11 Day observance was founded in 2002, inspired by the spirit of unity, service and shared humanity that arose in the United States and spread around the world following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Today, the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance – also known as 9/11 Day – stands as a permanent tribute to those lost, injured, and sickened, and those who rose in service in response to the tragedy. As the single largest day of service in the U.S., 9/11 Day reminds us that coming together in a spirit of kindness, no matter our differences, has the power to change lives and ultimately, our world. For more information, please contact [email protected].
Learn More about Meals of Hope
Ready to make a difference in your community? To learn more about Meals of Hope, read more here. To get you or your organization involved in our next meal packing event, fill out our form here. We can’t wait to hear from you!
May 12, 2023 | Uncategorized
Courtesy of High Plains Journal
May 1, 2023
The blue corduroy jacket is a familiar symbol of the FFA organization, worn as part of official dress during most FFA activities. Recently at the South Dakota FFA convention in Brookings, as part of a SD FFA Living to Serve Day, members removed their jackets and rolled up their sleeves to help stop hunger in South Dakota.
This service project, supported by funds from Pioneer-Corteva, Rick and Sandy Osterday, and a grant from the National FFA Foundation exemplified the portion of the FFA motto which states “Living to Serve” by teaming up with industry to fund a Meals of Hope, hands on project that combats hunger. SD FFA members and Pioneer-Corteva staff measured, poured, sealed, and boxed 50,184 meals in assembly line fashion throughout the day-long event. Members stopped in between workshops and competitive events throughout convention and left the event knowing that by giving a few minutes of their time they would make a significant difference in the life of a person less fortunate than themselves.
“The FFA organization believes strongly in the fourth line of the FFA Motto “Living to Serve”, which is why we are very excited to receive funds from both Pioneer-Corteva as well as day of event manpower assistance and interaction from their staff,” says Sandy Osterday, presiden of the South Dakota FFA Foundation.
The SD FFA Foundation is proud to support Agricultural Education and the FFA’s mission to make a difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. For more information about the South Dakota FFA Foundation and South Dakota’s FFA programs, visit www.sdffafoundation.org or follow us on Facebook.
Learn More about Meals of Hope
Ready to make a difference in your community? To learn more about Meals of Hope, read more here. To get you or your organization involved in our next meal packing event, fill out our form here. We can’t wait to hear from you!
