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.
Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the community, and organizations like the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Meals of Hope and the Guadalupe Center are stepping up to help. They are making a difference for families, particularly single-parent homes with young children.
Samantha Gonzalez, a 14-year-old student, shared her story.
“I lost my father like a few years ago, so at a young age. So this does help my mom since she’s supporting me and my siblings,” said Gonzalez.
Organizations recognize the importance of supporting children beyond just their educational needs.
“It’s important to serve the whole child. And one of the things that we know is that if a child is going home and they are going home to food insecurity or housing challenges, that really makes receiving a good education a difficult thing,” said Kelly Krupp, VP of Philanthropy at the Guadalupe Center.
Gonzalez knows the struggle of food insecurity all too well, as she helped her mom pick up food.
“Yeah, because there’s I can’t help her with anything. So I’m still young, so I can’t,” said Gonzalez.
Families like Luz’s also benefit from these efforts. Luz expressed her concerns for her younger sister.
“I’m just worried a bit because it’s mainly for my sister. They’re still small, so they need this food to grow up. Well, us, we can kind of survive without it,” said Luz, an Immokalee resident.
For Gonzalez and Luz, the food they receive means one less worry and one less empty stomach.
“I love you, and thank you for everything you do and for being somebody I can rely on and look up to,” said Gonzalez.
These efforts provide a momentary reprieve, allowing teenagers like Gonzalez and Luz to focus on being kids.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
