May 2, 2025 | Uncategorized
National Volunteer Week
Each April, we pause to recognize one of the most powerful forces for good in our communities: Volunteers.
First established in 1974, is more than just a week on the calendar. It’s a celebration of the compassion, generosity, and selflessness that lives in people who step up, not for recognition, but to make a difference.
At Meals of Hope, we know the power of volunteers firsthand. In fact, we exist because of them.
Since our founding in 2007, over 250,000 volunteers have come together at our meal-packing events across the country, and the impact has been staggering. Together, we’ve packed and distributed over 100 million meals to individuals and families facing food insecurity both in the United States and around the world.
These are not just numbers—they represent real people helping real people. Parents bringing their kids to teach them about giving back. Coworkers stepping away from their desks to bond over a shared mission. Community groups, sports teams, churches, and schools all showing up with energy and heart.
What makes these events so special isn’t just the meals packed, it’s the connection. The laughter, the music, the sense of purpose. In just a couple of hours, strangers become teammates, and teammates become change makers.
This week, and every week, we are deeply grateful.
To our volunteers past and present: thank you. Your commitment fuels everything we do. You’re not just helping us fight hunger, you’re proving that when communities come together, hope grows stronger.
Happy National Volunteer Week, and here’s to the next 250,000.
Apr 4, 2025 | Featured, In the News, Meals of Hope News, Uncategorized
Courtesy of The Brookings Register
South Dakota FFA Association
BROOKINGS — The South Dakota FFA Association will host the 97th Annual South Dakota State FFA Convention on April 3-5 at the Dacotah Bank Center and South Dakota State University’s campus.
The convention, with the theme of “Never Settle,” will be led by the state FFA officers include President Maya Howard, Miller; Vice President Raul Berrones Pedraza, Milbank; Secretary Ethan Hendricks, Rapid City; Treasurer Bailey Weegar, Viborg-Hurley; and Reporter Hailey Kizer, Howard. The state FFA Convention is like the “state championship” of FFA, that highlights the successes of South Dakota’s FFA members.
Throughout the three-day convention, over 2,000 FFA members, advisers and guests will:
- Participate in a Career Carnival with exhibits from 55 ag industry leaders and colleges
- Package 55,000 meals for Meals of Hope, which will be provided to Feeding South Dakota
- Attend leadership workshops hosted by First Dakota National Bank, the Agtegra Innovations Center, South Dakota Agriculture & Rural Leadership, South Dakota Beef Industry Council, Field Reveal, USDA Risk Management, Farm Credit Services of America, National FFA officer Jack Lingenfelter, National FFA Alumni, Ag Ed Ambassadors, and Caleb Weiland, former FFA member.
- Showcase agricultural skills by competing in hands-on career development events in agricultural business management, agricultural technology and mechanical systems, agronomy, dairy cattle evaluation, floriculture, food science and technology, horse evaluation, livestock evaluation, meats evaluation and technology, milk quality and products, natural resources, nursery/landscape, range plant identification and veterinary science.
Four award sessions — Thursday evening, Friday afternoon and evening, and Saturday morning — will include:
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- Bestowing the State FFA Degree on 324 members, the highest degree of members in South Dakota FFA
- Recognizing outstanding FFA members for their Supervised Agriculture Experience projects in the STARS Pageant (Star Greenhand, Star in Agriscience, Star in Agribusiness, Star in Agricultural Placement, and Star Farmer) and proficiency awards
- Awarding scholarships to graduating seniors and postsecondary students studying agriculture
- Hearing inspiring messages from state FFA officers, National FFA Southern Region Vice President Jack Lingenfelter of Georgia, and keynote speaker Melvin Adams
- Commending members for their success in agricultural career development events, as they advance to national competition in Indianapolis this fall
- Honoring supporters with the Honorary State FFA Degree and Distinguished Service awards
- Thanking past state FFA officers and the FFA Foundation board
- Celebrate the South Dakota FFA Family of the Year, the Mary and late Myron Williams family, from Wall.
- Recognizing FFA chapters that have demonstrated outstanding involvement in building leaders, growing communities and strengthening agriculture with the National Chapter award
- Installing the 2025-26 state FFA officers and ambassadors
Together, we can make a difference. If you’re attending the South Dakota FFA Convention or live nearby, come lend a hand and help Meals of Hope bring hope to the table—one meal at a time.
Can’t make this one? Explore ways to get involved in the fight against food insecurity with Meals of Hope today!
Apr 4, 2025 | Featured, In the News, Meals of Hope News, Uncategorized
Courtesy of The Bedford Citizen
The Rotary Club of Bedford is counting the days to Hope for the Hungry 2025, the club’s annual meal-packing to fight hunger. The event on Saturday, April 26 happens from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Bedford Campus Center of Middlesex Community College.
Led by the Rotary Club of Bedford, the event is co-hosted this year by the Rotary Clubs of Chelmsford and Merrimack Valley. Planning for the meal-packing began months ago.
The top priority was fundraising to purchase the meal-making ingredients. Sponsors and donors to date include Rotary District 7910, Rotary Club of Bedford, Meals of Hope, Brookline Bank, Northern Bank, Ken’s NY Deli & Pizzeria, Enterprise Bank, Ocular Therapeutix, Rotary Club of Billerica, and Laer Realty Partners/Debi Malone. Click here to donate.
The priority now are volunteers who are essential to Hope for the Hungry’s success.
Twelve long tables, stocked for packing, await the dozens of packers needed to assemble thousands of meals over the course of a few hours.
Past volunteers often return to pack again as do the crew members who supply and support the packers. It’s all about teamwork. Club members, neighbors, work colleagues and families form teams, all working towards a common goal while having fun.
Starting in 2013, except for two years during Covid, this is the 11th year of Bedford Rotary’s ongoing effort to combat food insecurity, globally and locally.
The packed meals fed children and families in poor African nations in earlier years. Last year, a partnership began with Meals of Hope that turned the focus to local needs.
Based in Naples, FL with its northeast headquarters in Chelmsford, it supplies all the packing paraphernalia and the ingredients for this year’s chosen Mac ‘n Cheese meals. The bulk of the packed meals are now delivered to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank, but some also go to the Bedford Food Pantry.
The April 26 event also provides the opportunity to join Bedford Rotary’s long-standing support of the Middlesex Community College food pantries.
The Campus Center where the meal packing will take place will be open for collection drop-offs of personal care items to benefit the MCC food pantries in Bedford and Lowell. The list of items being collected are in the flyer.
Interested in continuing the fight against food insecurity? Get involved with Meals of Hope by hosting a meal-packing event, volunteering, or making a donation. By participating, you become part of a community that provides food, hope, and the opportunity for a better future.
Mar 26, 2025 | Featured, In the News, Meals of Hope News
Hilliard, OH – March 15, 2025
Meals of Hope, a national nonprofit dedicated to combating food insecurity, celebrated the grand opening of its Ohio chapter on Saturday, March 15th, with a highly successful meal-packing event in Hilliard. In partnership with the Hilliard Food Pantry, Kiwanis Club of Hilliard, and the Hilliard United Methodist Church, nearly 200 volunteers packed over 50,000 nutritious meals for Central Ohio families.
The event, held from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., marked the official launch of Meals of Hope’s presence in Ohio. Spearheaded by Hilliard resident Jen Markewicz and her family, the event brought together nearly 200 volunteers from multiple different organizations, including McKesson, Hilliard Church of Christ, Knights of Columbus, Moose Lodge, Parker Hannifin, and Hilliard Davidson High School to address the growing need for food assistance in the region.
Meals of Hope has a 17-year history of organizing community-driven meal-packing events across the United States. To date, the organization has mobilized over 250,000 volunteers and packed more than 100 million meals. The Ohio chapter aims to continue this impactful work by providing local organizations with a tangible way to support their communities.
“Our goal for volunteer turnout was 100 people. When nearly 200 people showed up, I was overwhelmed with emotion and pride for my Central Ohio Community,” said Jen Markewicz. “The event was full of energy, excitement, and people working together for 2 hours to pack 5 pallets of a pasta meal that will be distributed right here in our community. Over 50,000 meals!”
The packed meals will be distributed through the Hilliard Food Pantry and Kiwanis Club of Hilliard to food-insecure families in Central Ohio. Meals of Hope in Ohio is now open and actively seeking partnerships with organizations interested in hosting future meal-packing events. These events offer a unique team-building experience while directly addressing food insecurity.
Organizations interested in volunteering or hosting a Meals of Hope event can contact the Ohio chapter at (614) 636-1026 or visit https://mealsofhope.org/ohiosouth/. Meals of Hope is available to set up events anywhere and encourages any organization looking to make a direct impact on their community to reach out.
About Meals of Hope:
Meals of Hope is a national nonprofit organization that empowers communities to combat hunger through hands-on meal-packing events. For over 15 years, Meals of Hope has brought together volunteers from businesses, organizations, and communities to package nutritious meals for those in need.
Contact:
Jen Markewicz
VP of Community Development
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenmarkewicz/
(614) 636-1026
Mar 26, 2025 | Featured, In the News, Meals of Hope News
Meals of Hope just received a significant boost in their mission to fight hunger in Southwest Florida. B. Thomas Golisano has awarded them a $3 million grant that will strengthen their efforts to provide nutritious meals to families in need.
Southwest Florida has seen increasing numbers of people struggling to put food on the table. Meals of Hope has been at the forefront of addressing this challenge, and this new funding will allow them to reach even more community members facing food insecurity.
A Significant Investment to Help Combat Hunger
Tom Golisano, — entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader — is the founder of Paychex, Inc., the nation’s largest human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses. His philanthropic contributions to education, hospitals, disability services, animal welfare, and numerous other organizations exceed $860 million. This grant is part of a larger $85 million distribution to 41 Southwest Florida nonprofits. These grants are special because they come without restrictions, allowing organizations like Meals of Hope to use the funding where it’s most needed.
During the announcement, Golisano said, “I hope this unexpected funding helps them broaden their impact and strengthen their organizations so they can expand their services and those they serve.”
For Meals of Hope, this means they can provide more meals, grow their programs, and offer greater support to families facing food insecurity throughout Southwest Florida.
How Meals of Hope Plans to Use the Grant
More Mobile Pantries
Meals of Hope currently runs 15 mobile food pantries that provide thousands of families with weekly fresh groceries. With food costs rising and more people needing help, this grant will allow them to distribute more food, reach additional areas, and help ensure families in Southwest Florida have enough to eat.
Expanded Baby Pantries
Food insecurity particularly affects babies and young children. Meals of Hope recently grew its Baby Pantries program, which now helps over 300 babies and children every week by providing formula, baby food, diapers, and other essential supplies. The grant will allow them to help even more families with young children.
More Meal Packing Events
For over 15 years, Meals of Hope has organized volunteers to pack and distribute meals across the country. Working with corporate sponsors, community groups, and individual volunteers, they’ve packed more than 110 million meals. With this additional funding, they can organize more meal-packing events, involve more community members, and distribute more meals.
Stronger Partnerships
Meals of Hope works with local food banks, churches, and other nonprofits to keep food within the community. The flexibility of this grant will allow for more collaboration, strengthening the network of organizations fighting hunger in Southwest Florida.
The Value of Local Giving
Tom Golisano’s approach to philanthropy follows his belief that “The only wealth you get to keep is that which you give away.”
This grant represents more than just money—it’s help for thousands of families struggling with hunger, an opportunity to improve food relief efforts, and a reminder of how communities become stronger when people work together.
How You Can Help
While this grant will help Meals of Hope expand its work, addressing hunger requires ongoing support from individuals, businesses, and community groups. Here are ways you can contribute:
- Host a Meal Packing Event – Gather people from your workplace, school, or community to pack nutritious meals for local families.
- Sponsor a Program – Businesses and organizations can support specific initiatives like mobile pantries or Baby Pantries.
- Donate – Financial contributions help Meals of Hope purchase and distribute essential food and supplies.
- Volunteer – Help at a meal-packing event or assist at a mobile pantry.
- Spread the Word – Share Meals of Hope’s mission with others to inspire more people to help.
Every contribution, no matter the size, helps provide food and support to those who need it.
Join the Effort to Address Hunger
This grant is important in expanding Meals of Hope’s work, but there’s still much to do. Hunger affects millions of people; together, we can make a meaningful difference.
Would you like to be part of addressing hunger in your community? Visit Meals of Hope to learn more about getting involved, donating, or hosting a meal-packing event.
