Thousands Volunteer at the Million Meal Marathon
Thousands of Hoosiers came together November 1st for Kids Against Hunger's first Million Meal Marathon. Businesses, families, teams, scout troops and students of all ages packed over 500,000 meals, many which will be leaving Indianapolis
by the end of the month for the Horn of Africa. In addition, a portion of the meals have been delivered to Gleaners, Midwest Food Bank & Second Harvest for distribution to Indiana families. "295,000 children in the state of Indiana have a food emergency in their family," said John Whitaker of Midwest Food Bank. Members of WRTV6, along with the Peyback Foundation, the Indiana Pacers, the Indianapolis Colts, Marsh Supermarkets, and the Jefferson Awards joined in the assembly lines. "My dream is that kids walk out of here and know that they can do something to help their neighbor. And they can do something that's going to help worldwide," said Angie Mollenkopf, Director of Development for Kids Against Hunger Central Indiana. Click here to see pictures from the event. Below are just a few of the comments from packers. Thank you Central Indiana for making a difference!
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"This was a great way for the CVC (Corporate Volunteer Council) to engage their employees in such a fulfilling opportunity." Nellie Moshier, United Way of Central Indiana
"For me it was a win/win. Not only did we get to help children around the world, but it was also a fun team building experience that seemed to bring out the competitor in all of us. It's a day I won't forget." T. R. Scrivner-Defender Direct
"Participating in the Million Meal Marathon gave Brownie Troop #367 a chance to make a difference in the world...I have never seen them so satisfied by giving! We are proud to have been a part of the MMM and will participate in this event in the years to come!" Patrice Mosely, Troop Leader
"Having never participated in a meal packing before, I had no idea what to expect. I was really looking forward to the event with my co-workers from Liberty Mutual. We ended up kicking off the MMM by packing during the first time slot! I have to say after watching the video before we started the pack, I learned a lot about the true thought behind why the meal is packaged the way it is! From the flavoring, to the protein, to the filler....there was a lot of consideration for these kiddos and making sure they are not hungry. I will particpate again and I have already set up to donate to this wonderful organization!" Nikki DeRolf, Liberty Mutual
"It was stated prior to the start of our session that this is done to help with team building in companies. I think this would be an awesome event for all of OrthoIndy. Thank you so mnuch choosing me as a volunteer, I cannot thank you enough!!! Shelly Burnett, OrthoIndy
"Love this cause! When I was laid off years back, I had no money and I had to go to food pantries to have food for my kids. It really was a low point in my life--no one wants to see their kids go without. I was very thankful for the generosity of people giving to the food pantry. I would love to volunteer every year." Anonymous
"It was a wonderful event....it would be nice to host a packing day at our church." Shelli Albright
"Participating in the MMM was so meaningful knowing that by just donating a little time and effort that many hungry children in Indiana and around the world possibly won't have to go to bed hungry." Karen Hartley, T2 Systems, Inc.
"It was terrific to see the immediate results of individuals coming together and working side by side as a team to benefit people around the world who are struggling for the bare essentials. With so many engineers and manufacturing people volunteering together, we naturally sought competitive team lean manufacturing methods to streamline our efforts and improve our outputs. Our group effort resulted in 1620+ bags being filled, which will fill almost 10,000 bellies around the world." Susan Parish, Rolls-Royce Corporation
