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For our friends at Temple Israel of the City of New York, packaging meals is more than just a weekend activity; this annual event is a social action response to the hunger problem in our world and the pursuit of justice for all. These Hunger Champions gathered the Sunday before Thanksgiving for their fifth event to package 45,000 meals, and have packaged a grand total of 191,000 meals since 2013.

Temple Israel’s impact has rippled throughout their community and around the world with their meals being delivered to Burkina Faso, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Haiti, Sri Lanka, Liberia and Burundi; a true impact of global proportions.

Having been a catalyst for multiple events throughout the city of New York, Temple Israel congregants have been inspired to take meal packaging to other socially conscious organizations to make an even larger impact. By hosting events through Rise Against Hunger’s meal packaging program, these members live out their beliefs of Tikkun Olam, or healing to the world through constructive and beneficial activity.

Heather Getman brought the idea of a meal packaging event to the leadership of Temple Israel in 2013 and has been organizing the annual event every year. “Participating in Rise Against Hunger events over the past five years have been a transformative Social Action experience for our community. To have 300 people of all ages working physically together in complete cooperation is a thing to behold, and the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction stays with you for days to come. The first time we did it, my then five year old looked up at me and said, ‘We’re healing the world today!’ and I was hooked! Rise Against Hunger has risen to the top of our Social Action calendar and brings everyone together in the most positive and meaningful way.”

We would welcome the opportunity to help your faith community make a lasting impact in the lives of people in need around the globeBy packaging nutritious meals, responding to crisis or supporting a sustainable initiative, you are making a real difference for the one in nine, or 815 million people who experience hunger on a daily basis.

If you’re interested in getting your faith community involved in the movement to end hunger, please email Kevin Magee, Manager, Faith-Based Global Partnerships, at kmagee@riseagainsthunger.org.

Shared in Blog, Growing the Movement