Penfield Rotary Club from District 7120 hosted their second annual Stop Hunger Now meal packaging event in April. This year’s meal goals was nearly doubled from last year based on overwhelming volunteer participation rate, said Penfield Rotarian Jack Best, who organized the event. “More than 300 volunteers packaged 60,000 meals, $17,400 was raised by local businesses, churches, schools and individual supporters for the event. Be proud of what our community has accomplished on behalf of the hungry,” says Best. “This is a way for us to get our people outside of work, doing something that makes a difference. The whole idea of us looking at something that enables us to go beyond geographical boundaries really has something to do with world peace.”
Debbie Dwyer of Penfield and Marian Ryan of Webster attended the event last year with a group of workout friends from the Bayview YMCA, and the same group came to this year’s event. “This feels very productive, and also competitive,” said Ryan, adding that they were trying to be the fastest team on the floor. “We just know each other and wanted to do something good,” Dwyer said. Penfield High School senior Adam Lewis, 17, ran boxes of food bags around the room when people had filled them up.
Rotary Clubs around the world have packaged more than 11 million Stop Hunger Now meals. Stop Hunger Now’s meal packaging program is an international service project that builds camaraderie throughout the club, encourages a cooperative effort within the community and meets the service goals of your organization. Stop Hunger Now will be at the International Rotary Conference this June in Brazil.
Last year at the 105th Rotary International Convention in Sydney, Australia, Rotarians packaged more than 30,000 meals with Stop Hunger Now. Hundreds of Rotarians participated in our hands-on meal packaging program that combines rice, soy/protein, dehydrated vegetables and a vitamin and mineral sachet into small meal packets. Meals were distributed through the local food banking network to aboriginal populations in Australia. This year we are increasing our impact because of the support of Australian-based company, Zambrero. At the 106th Rotary International Convention in Sao Paulo, Rotarians can package 100,000 meals for the people of Brazil. These meals will be distributed in the Sao Paulo region through local nonprofit partners working in development programs such as schools, orphanages, nurseries and medical clinics.
Event information
Who: All convention attendees welcome!
What: Packaging 100,000 meals with Stop Hunger Now
Where: House of Friendship
When: June 6 from 12-14:00 and June 7 and 8 from 12:30-14:30
Come by our booth in the House of Friendship and say hello and be sure to stop by our meal packaging events after the morning plenary sessions. Bring your friends and family and join the movement of Rotarians who have packaged more than 14.5 million meals for school feeding programs and areas of disaster in 11+ countries!