Dec 24, 2024 | Featured, Meals of Hope News, Uncategorized
The holidays are a time for joy, togetherness, and celebration. Yet, this season brings additional financial and emotional strain for millions of families across the country. While many prepare feasts and exchange gifts, others struggle to put even the simplest meals on the table. This hidden hunger crisis intensifies during the holidays, revealing a heartbreaking disparity that calls for immediate action.
UNDERSTANDING THE HOLIDAY HUNGER SPIKE
Food insecurity affects millions of Americans year-round, but it often peaks during the holiday season. The reasons are multifaceted:
- Increased Financial Pressures: Families face higher utility bills as temperatures drop, holiday expenses for gifts and celebrations, and additional costs for child care during winter breaks. These added burdens stretch already limited budgets, leaving less for essentials like food.
- Seasonal Costs for Basic Needs: Heating bills soar in the winter months, forcing families to make difficult choices between staying warm and staying fed.
- Limited Access to Assistance: Many schools that provide free or reduced-cost meals to children are closed for winter break, cutting off a vital food source for millions of students.
These financial pressures often push families into impossible situations, forcing them to prioritize immediate needs over long-term stability.
SEASONAL STRUGGLES FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
While hunger impacts people of all demographics, certain groups face heightened risks during the holidays:
- Children: When schools close for winter break, children lose access to school meal programs that provide consistent nutrition. For families already struggling, this adds another layer of stress.
- Seniors: Many older adults live on fixed incomes, making it difficult to absorb the higher costs associated with the holiday season. Seniors often face the painful decision of choosing between paying for medication, utilities, or food.
- Working Families: Families living paycheck to paycheck face the greatest pressure during the holidays, with limited resources stretched even thinner by seasonal expenses.
These vulnerable populations feel the brunt of food insecurity during the holidays, underscoring the urgent need for targeted relief efforts.
INCREASED DEMAND ON FOOD RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS
The holiday season places immense strain on hunger relief organizations. Food banks, pantries, and nonprofits like Meals of Hope see demand skyrocket as families seek assistance. Meeting this surge comes with unique challenges:
- Supply Chain Strain: The increased demand for food means organizations must work harder to secure enough supplies to meet the needs of their communities.
- Volunteer Shortages: While the holidays inspire many to give back, the sheer volume of need often outpaces available volunteer resources.
- Financial Pressures: Higher demand requires greater financial support to purchase food, transport goods, and coordinate distribution efforts.
Despite these challenges, hunger relief organizations remain steadfast in their commitment to ensuring no one goes hungry during the holidays.
HOW MEALS OF HOPE IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Meals of Hope is dedicated to addressing the hidden hunger crisis, especially during the holiday season. Through innovative programs and community partnerships, Meals of Hope tackles food insecurity head-on, providing hope and nourishment to families in need.
- Meal Packing Events:
Meals of Hope hosts meal packing events that bring communities together to create immediate and tangible impact. These events are family-friendly and offer a hands-on way for individuals and groups to contribute to the fight against hunger. The meals packed are designed to provide essential nutrients and comfort, making them ideal for families, children, and seniors.
- Partnerships with Local Organizations:
Collaboration is at the heart of Meals of Hope’s approach. By partnering with schools, faith-based organizations, and businesses, Meals of Hope ensures that meals reach those who need them most, whether locally or in areas impacted by disaster or economic hardship.
- Targeted Holiday Efforts:
During the holiday season, Meals of Hope ramps up its efforts to meet the increased demand. Programs like the Holidays Without Hunger campaign focus on mobilizing communities to pack and distribute meals to families who might otherwise go without.
- Innovative Distribution Models:
Meals of Hope adapts to the unique needs of each community, whether by supplying meals directly to food banks or hosting mobile pantry events that bring resources to underserved areas.
These initiatives demonstrate the power of collective action and show how one organization can spark a ripple effect of hope and change.
THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF GIVING BACK
Volunteering during the holidays is about more than giving time—it’s about creating a legacy of compassion and connection. Here’s how getting involved can make a difference:
- Strengthening Community Bonds: Meal packing events bring people together, creating a sense of unity and shared purpose.
- Providing Immediate Relief: Each meal packed offers nourishment and hope to families struggling to make ends meet.
- Inspiring Long-Term Impact: Acts of service encourage others to give back, creating a ripple effect that extends far beyond the holidays.
HOW YOU CAN HELP THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
The hidden hunger crisis during the holidays is daunting, but you can be part of the solution. Here’s how:
- Host a Meal Packing Event: Bring your community, workplace, or family together to pack meals for those in need.
- Volunteer Your Time: Join an existing meal packing event or support local food distribution efforts.
- Make a Donation: Financial contributions help purchase ingredients and cover the costs of getting meals to families.
Meals of Hope offers a variety of ways to get involved, making it easy for everyone to contribute, no matter their schedule or resources.
A CALL TO ACTION
Hunger doesn’t take a holiday—but together, we can ensure that families in need experience the joy and connection that define this season. Meals of Hope is committed to turning compassion into action, and we invite you to join us in this mission.
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!
May 12, 2023 | Uncategorized
Courtesy of McDonald County Press
May 4, 2023
Students from McDonald County High School and the McDonald County FFA chapter, on April 27, partnered with the national organization, “Meals of Hope,” to pack 25,000 meals for people in need in the local area.
According to the organization’s website, Meals of Hope is a “nonprofit organization that is committed to bringing people together to fight the hunger epidemic.”
Meals of Hope is the only meal-packing organization prioritizing keeping food packed within the United States.
Emily Hutton teaches agriculture at MCHS and is the McDonald County FFA Advisor. She said these packages will go to local food pantries throughout McDonald County — Anderson, Noel, Pineville, and some local churches and other organizations.
“It’s going to be chicken and rice vegetable soup that we’re packaging. Each bag has six servings in it. So the kids are actually going to measure all the ingredients. We have to weigh it, seal them, put on our stickers and box them. Then distribute them to the community,” said Hutton.
According to Hutton, Meals of Hope sent all the supplies, and the students prepped and packaged the ingredients.
Students had five options to choose from. The project’s senior officers picked the dish they thought would be the most versatile and easiest to prepare. They settled on “chicken and rice soup” because it is the easiest to prepare.
Maggie Pratt is the McDonald County FFA chapter president. She has aspirations to study the field of poultry science after high school.
“This project was something we had heard about,” said Pratt. “So we did our research and kind of looked into it. And we thought, ‘Well, we really want to do this.'”
Braxton Bishop is the vice president of the FFA chapter. After graduation, he’ll attend the University of Columbia for animal science and plans to pursue a veterinary degree to treat large animals such as bovine and equestrian animals. Together with Pratt, they share ideas and collaborate on various projects.
“Anything she has a question on, we think about it together,” said Bishop. “She did all the paperwork for it, and I did the heavy labor.”
The students formed assembly lines along rows of tables with measuring spoons, weighing scales, funnels, and package labeling. There were 10-gallon buckets containing various blends of spices, rice, and dry vegetables. They placed them at the beginning of the tables, and students wore PPE and systematically passed the packets over to the following students. They were racing against the clock, and within four hours, 150 students packed 25,000 meals of chicken and rice soup. That is roughly 104 packages per minute.
This was an experience these students will never forget.
“We have never done this before,” said Hutton. “We hope that this tradition will continue for years to come.”
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!
Mar 20, 2023 | Uncategorized
Courtesy of WGNSRadio
(Murfreesboro) Rutherford County government and Board of Education employees packed over 55,000 Meals of Hope on Saturday (3/18/2023). More than 150 volunteers gathered in groups to pack fortified pasta with tomato sauce that will be distributed to various non-profit organizations, food banks, charities, and ministries across Rutherford County.
Emily Cox, who helps facilitate the meal-packing events, said, “When we learned that one in six children in Tennessee face hunger every day, we knew we wanted to help somehow. We are so excited to partner with Rutherford County employees to pack meals to help feed Rutherford County.”
The Meals of Hope were distributed to local agencies as an economical resource that will provide nutritional solutions to aid in the fight against hunger. Each packet contains enough food to provide six meals.
Sonya Stephenson, Rutherford County Chief of Human Resources, noted that the county had representatives from Animal Services, Ambulance Service, Blackman Elementary, Blackman Middle, Blackman High, Buchanan Elementary, Building Codes, Cedar Grove Elementary, Central Magnet, Christiana Middle, Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, County Clerk’s Office, Circuit Judge Law Clerk, Correctional Work Center, Engineering, Finance, Human Resources, Insurance & Risk Management, Mayor’s Office, McFadden, Oakland High, Office of Information Technology, Riverdale High, Rock Springs Middle, Rockvale Elementary, Rockvale High, Rocky Fork Middle, Roy Waldron, Rutherford County Board of Education Central Office, Rutherford County Bus Drivers, Sheriff’s Office, Trustee’s Office, and Youth Services who volunteered their time to give back to the community they serve.
In addition, constitutional officers were present packing meals for their community: County Commissioner Jonathan Beverly, County Commissioner Hope Oliver, County Clerk Lisa Crowell, County Mayor Joe Carr, County School Board Chair Tammy Sharp, County School Board member Frances Rosales, and County Trustee Teb Batey. Mayor Joe Carr reflected, “This is an example of the greatest resource in Rutherford County, the people. We are fortunate to live in a community where neighbors help neighbors.”
Meals of Hope President and CEO Stephen Popper, said, “We are thankful and appreciative of the support provided by Rutherford County employees to help us combat the hunger epidemic.”
Meals of Hope is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to bringing people together to fight the hunger epidemic. It was founded in 2007, and has packed over 80-million meals that have been donated to communities in need across the nation and around the world.
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!
