Volunteers needed to pack 300,000 meals in Hampton

It’s an impressive feat by any standard — 800 volunteers converging to package food for the needy.

It’s even more significant when you consider that it’s done by grassroots efforts through local nonprofit Network of Hope, whose members solicit residents, teachers, high school sports teams and others to come together for the meal packing.

In total, they put together 300,000 meals to be shipped across the globe to Africa and other countries where food insecurity is a growing problem.

“It’s one of our biggest worries every year, if we’re going to have enough people,” said Kyler Sederwall, program director of Network of Hope.

“But it always comes together. It turns out to be one of our favorite days of the year.”

Network of Hope has joined with Allison Park Church and Rise Against Hunger, an international hunger relief organization, to turn out a eye-popping number of meals each of the past four years.

“I think the first year, we did 10,000 and then 30,000 the next,” Sederwall said. “It is quite a visual to see everyone working for one cause.

“We still need volunteers, so anyone who’s interested, please come out.”

This year’s event is 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the church’s Hampton campus, 2326 Duncan Ave.

It is a part of Serve Day, a campaign of the Network of Hope, which performs about 40 projects a year.

Pastor Jeff Leake said there are amazing things that happen during the bustling event.

“Food resources are mobilized to provide for people but in the process, everyone becomes more aware of the need,” Leake said.

“People of all ages and backgrounds are engaged in the process, which is not only a lot of fun but it truly brings a sense of meaning and community throughout the entire event.”

The Hampton event is one of Rise Against Hunger’s largest meal packing events in the state.

Volunteers will be tasked with transferring more than 50,000 pounds of a rice and protein mix into plastic bags, sealing them and piling pallets into a shipping container.

“It’s one of those big containers that goes onto the back of a boat,” Sederwall said. “We use a forklift to load the boxes.”

Meals are transported overseas to the world’s hungriest people.

Because of covid-19 restrictions in place, Rise Against Hunger will decide where the meals can be shipped.

About 70 tables are set up in the church hall where strangers come together to fill the food bags.

“It’s a great way to get out into the community and serve people in a tangible way,” Sederwall said. “It’s cool to see people from all different backgrounds come together for one cause and give back to the world.”

Anyone interested in volunteering can call 412-258-6253 or visit networkofhope.org.