Stop Hunger Now volunteers recently packed 100,000 meals to be shipped to Haiti.
Photo provided
By Mary Thurwachter
About 600 students and other community volunteers rolled up their sleeves April 19 to prepare 100,000 meals in the Florida Atlantic University fitness center. The event, a combined effort by Stop Hunger Now, FAU and LexisNexis Risk Solutions, was aimed at feeding the world’s hungry.
Stop Hunger Now meal packaging events like the one at FAU coordinate the streamlined packaging of nutritious, dehydrated meals made up of rice, soy, vegetables, flavoring, and 21 essential vitamins and minerals.
All the meals were shipped to Haiti, said Katie Burke, a graduate student and associate director of student involvement and leadership at FAU.
“The meal-packaging program provides students with an opportunity to learn about hunger and develop a heart for service,” says Christine Galenski, community development director for Stop Hunger Now. “It teaches the students about leadership and develops a foundation for future involvement in global issues.”
Both Burke and Galenski reside in Boca Raton and have tasted the packaged meals during past events. This is the second year a packaging event was held at FAU.
“It’s a rice concoction and very edible,” said Burke.
FAU student Vadine Eugene said she was inspired by the mission to end world hunger.
“They provide a great opportunity for FAU and the surrounding communities to come together and make a difference in the world,” Eugene said. “The meal packaging experience is unparalleled and generates a spirit of empowerment among our community. Our continuous partnership with Stop Hunger Now and LexisNexis has really sparked this annual tradition at FAU.”
More than 868 million people in the world lack adequate food and more than 25,000 die each day from hunger-related illnesses, according to Stop Hunger Now, an organization which operates meal packaging in 18 cities throughout the U.S. and in South Africa and Malaysia.
Founded in 1998, Stop Hunger Now has delivered aid and disaster-relief supplies in the form of food, medical supplies, clothing, school supplies and more to thousands of disaster victims and other hungry and vulnerable people in 65 countries.
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