Earlier this month, hundreds of volunteers came together for a great cause. In just over two hours, more than 300 volunteers packaged 100,000 meals for food pantries in Washington County, Ohio.
Held in the old Food 4 Less Building in Marietta, Ohio, the event was coordinated by the Outreach Program from Iowa, who travels around the country packaging meals for communities in need. Three different meals were packaged, including macaroni and cheese, tomato basil pasta and rice and beans. Each table of volunteers was sponsored by a different business, service organization or church.
“Mark and I volunteered for the food packing day because we hate the idea of any child going to bed hungry,” said Angela Greathouse, Chief Financial Officer at Pickering Associates. “We have four children ourselves and can’t imagine any of them ever feeling that way. If all of us would be willing to give a little, it makes a big difference in the lives of those in need. We volunteered for 2 ½ hours and in that time we packed around 3,800 mac & cheese dinners! What a big difference for so little time given. It was a valuable experience and we are very willing to do it again!”
With each box of meals packed, volunteers let out an encouraging cheer. Cheers filled the building as one by one, thousands of meals were packaged up, ready to be distributed to local pantries.
“This was a great way to make an impact and help others in our community,” said Abby Wright, Human Resources and Safety Manager. “There was a wonderful turnout and it was a lot of fun!”
Many participating were first time volunteers, including Keri Dunn, Project and Contract Manager. “I believe in the importance of supporting our neighbors,” she said. “There are so many contributing factors to food insecurity and by providing meals, we can let our neighbors know that we not only support them, but we hope they’ll try again just one more day. An understanding heart can be as important as a full tummy.”
“As a first-time volunteer, I was overwhelmed by the number of people who gave not only money, but time. The atmosphere was full of love, comradery, cheering and a bit of playful competition,” said Keri, who along with Traci Stotts, volunteered with the Zonta Club of Marietta. “I hope that some of that love was packaged into each meal, so that when it’s opened, it passes through to the family who receives this gift.”