Jan 31, 2023 | Featured, In the News
Courtesy of CBS19 News
LOUISA COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) — Instead of taking the day off from school, Louisa County Public Schools students came together to package meals for the Local Resource Council.
A day like this is a part of Louisa County’s Asynchronous day program, where students volunteer at various places across the county to make a difference on their day off.
“What makes these days so impactful is that we get to serve our community, we get to model giving back, and we actually get to learn outside the classroom,” said Heather Spaid, the director of elementary education for LCPS.
On this Asynchronous day, 300 students packaged macaroni and cheese meals, in partnership with Meals of Hope.
Each student had a special role, ranging from pouring the macaroni to sealing the bag to making boxes. They worked together and packaged more than 5,000 meals, which fit into more than 100 boxes. Each box also contained a positive handwritten note.
“I think that community events should be a part of the curriculum. I would love the Virginia Department of Education to adopt days like this, so that we can continue to teach our children they’re not too little to give back,” Spaid added.
Doing something as small as packaging food helps students realize the difference they are able to make in their community.
“You know our asynchronous days are all about providing community service opportunities for our students, families to come out, and give back to the community,” said LCPS Superintendent Doug Straley. “And Louisa is a really special place to be able to give back to your community is so important. And helping these students understand the importance is what these days are all about.”
The next asynchronous day will take place in February, and the school division plans to package another 5,000 meals and continue making a difference in the lives of people in the community.
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!
Jan 20, 2023 | Featured, In the News
Courtesy of ABC-7 News
NAPLES, Fla. — In honor of the first week of 2023, More Explores has dedicated the week to popular New Year’s resolutions!
If you are looking to volunteer more in 2023, Meals of Hope in Naples is always looking for volunteers.
They have several ways that volunteers can help. Monday through Friday, Meals of Hope provides food for food pantries across Lee and Collier Counties. These food pantries need to be manned by volunteers to distribute the food!
They also need volunteers to make bags of dry goods to distribute daily!
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!
Jan 20, 2023 | In the News
The Park Rapids National Honor Society packed 10,000 meals on Wednesday, Dec. 21 for Meals of Hope.
Courtesy of Park Rapids Enterprise
Members of Park Rapids Area High School’s National Honor Society donned their gay apparel, from Christmas sweaters to hairnets, Wednesday while packing vegetable-and-rice soup mixes for local people in need.
According to club advisor Jacob Hutchins, about 50 students helped out, measuring rice, vegetables and seasonings into labeled bags and heat-sealing them for the organization Meals of Hope.
“It will go to people that need it in our area,” he said. “We’ve got a whole assembly line.”
Teacher Amber Seibert said the club’s goal for the day was to pack 10,000 meals. Seibert also acknowledged that community groups donated money to purchase food and supplies for the project.
Learn More about Meals of Hope
Looking to feed the hungry 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!
Jan 15, 2023 | Featured, In the News
Courtsey of Daily Journal Online
“Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve”, these words serve as the National FFA Organizations Motto.
December 13, 2022, the Fredericktown FFA Chapter packaged meals to be provided to students in the Fredericktown R-1 School District, via the Cat Pack Program and the Madison County Food Pantry. In total, the students of the Fredericktown FFA Chapter packaged 10,542 meals.
During the summer, the FFA applied for a year-long $3,000 grant through the National FFA’s Living to Serve Grant Program. “Living to Serve Grants provide an opportunity for FFA chapters and state FFA associations/foundations to seek funding to support various types of service projects through a competitive application process. Applicants must identify a community need that falls within one of four focus areas: community safety; hunger, health and nutrition; environmental responsibility; or community engagement.”
The Fredericktown FFA Chapter chose to use the money for the grant received to purchase meals provided by the Meals of Hope Organization. When the Fortified Pasta with Red Sauce meal was chosen, Meals of Hope sent all of the materials and food needed to safely package, seal, and label the meals for the event.
We have been doing this project for a few years, and it is always a favorite of students. Not only are they able to take the class time to complete some hands-on learning, they are providing necessary meals for the community. This is always a popular community service project for the students of the Fredericktown FFA Chapter.
Learn More about Meals of Hope
Looking to feed the hungry 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!
Nov 24, 2022 | Featured, Meals of Hope Franchise
Courtesy of Coastal Breeze News
Marco Island began its festive holiday season with the Annual Meals of Hope Packaging Event on Saturday morning, November 19th. Close to 500 volunteers gathered in the spirit of this special season to help ensure islanders would provide for those in need of healthy meals over the next several months as we move into 2023 and beyond. Marco Island has become a successful core location for one of these wonderful packaging events over the years, and has grown in the effort to combat hunger here in Collier County.
Packaging events occur throughout Collier County, with Marco Island assisting over the last dozen years or so. That effort, and its continued growth here on Marco, began under the watchful eye of the late Sunrise Rotarian Wayne Purvis. He would kick start the event here on the island, while enlisting the Sunrise, as well as the Noontime Rotary Club and the local Kiwanis Club, in that effort. Since then, numerous other organizations have joined this endeavor.
