Thousands of food-insecure families can count on a nutritious meal because hundreds of volunteers, corporate partners and sponsors came together to fight hunger with us this week.

Volunteers packaged a total of 50,000 meal kits in under four hours during two United Against Hunger events in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. United Way BCKR organized the effort in partnership with the Outreach Program and the Food Bank of South Central Michigan.

“We’re very grateful for all of our volunteers and donors,” said Robert Elchert, community impact associate for United Way BCKR. “This couldn’t have happened without their support. Thanks to their generosity, we’re able to answer the question of where the next meal will be coming from for a lot of families.”

The kits, which include six servings of a nutritious tomato basil pasta dish, recipes and other resources, will be distributed by the Food Bank to community agencies throughout the region, including Salvation Army pantries, Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes and many others.

Those agencies will ensure the meals reach the people who need them, Parker said. More than 57,000 people in Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties alone have inconsistent access to safe, nutritional food. That includes more than 14,000 children.

“When it’s your child that’s hungry, one of these meals is worth it,” said Patty Parker, executive director of the Food Bank, who donned a hairnet and joined volunteers in packing meals at both events. “When we’re putting together this many meals, it’s extraordinary. But also, to have everybody come together like this with United Way, for them to be focusing on hunger and thinking about that basic need — we can’t forget the importance of that itself.”

A majority of the volunteers were affiliated with corporate partners, and community members joined in as well after hearing about the event. Even Tony the Tiger got in on the action at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek.

@realtonytiger is helping us and @KelloggCompany package pasta meal kits for #UnitedAgainstHunger to create #BetterDays in our community! pic.twitter.com/PabTHlaVSz

— United Way BCKR (@UnitedWayBCKR) October 16, 2017

Jeanette Evans, who works in Kalamazoo Public Schools and volunteers often in the community, heard about the effort early Wednesday morning and came down to the Salvation Army to help out.

“I thought, ‘I better get up and go help them,’” she said. “I’m so excited about being over here. You’ve got to get out there and do something. You’ve got to start somewhere.”

Karen Wilkes also made an early morning decision to join the effort, and talked her husband Rick into joining her. Recently retired, the couple has been seeking more volunteer opportunities.

“It’s healthy for you to volunteer your time,” Karen Wilkes said.

Big thanks to all of our volunteers, our presenting partner, Kellogg’s, and the many other partners who contributed volunteer time, dollars or both: Pfizer, Advia Credit Union, Schupan & Sons, Eaton Corporation, Old National Bank, Impact Solutions, OnStaff Group, CTS Telecom, Fabri-Kal, Abraxas, CSM Group, Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services’ Area Agency on Aging, PNC Bank.

Thank you also to our event hosts, Salvation Army of Kalamazoo and Kellogg Arena.

MORE

• Find photos, videos and more on our Facebook page and by searching hashtags #UnitedAgainstHunger and #BetterDays on Twitter.
• Get plugged in HERE to join us in fighting hunger.
• Catch United Way BCKR’s Robert Elchert in an interview on WWMT Newschannel 3: United Against Hunger WWMT 654am 10-18-17