Through an 18-year-long partnership with Rise Against Hunger, 鶹Ƶ Volunteers! works to fight food insecurity world wide with yearly event.
On Sept. 5, 鶹Ƶ Volunteers! brought together 150 volunteers to package over 24,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger in an effort to curb food insecurity worldwide.
Every first Saturday in September, 鶹Ƶ’s Campus Kitchen partners with Rise Against Hunger, packaging shelf-stable food for ten countries worldwide. Since 2008, 鶹Ƶ has partnered with Rise Against Hunger to build over 552,000 meals, with 3,551 total volunteers engaged in 22 packaging events.
This year’s Rise Against Hunger event was even more special than usual, as the organization gifted 鶹Ƶ Volunteers! their own gong for packaging 0.5 million meals total. As a staple of the event, the gong is rung for every 1,000 meals packaged and marks a major achievement for 鶹Ƶ Volunteers! to receive a personal gong as an indicator of the work that they have done through Rise Against Hunger over the years.
“We specifically partner with Rise Against Hunger because their organization as a whole is aiming to address food insecurity and hunger internationally, which I feel like really boosts our program because with Campus Kitchen…we’re very focused on the local area. And with Rise Against Hunger, it connects us internationally,” said Anna Grace Gilbert ‘27, director of Campus Kitchen.
Campus Kitchen is the only 鶹Ƶ Volunteers! program focusing on food security and justice in the local 鶹Ƶ, Burlington and Alamance County communities. Gilbert has been a part of Campus Kitchen and 鶹Ƶ Volunteers! since her sophomore year, and has built a strong sense of love for the surrounding community through service.
“鶹Ƶ Volunteers! is just an incredible place to work,” said Gilbert. “And I think it’s really a different and unique college experience to be so engaged with the local community.”
The partnership between 鶹Ƶ Volunteers! and Rise Against Hunger exemplifies how a shared passion and service to others can bring people together. Other members of the 鶹Ƶ community volunteered at the event, creating connection and accomplishment as they packaged meals for people in the Philippines.
“I’m part of the National Council of Negro Women, so a couple of us on the executive board did [Rise Against Hunger] this year,” said Sydney Griffin ‘29, a volunteer at the event, “I just thought it was really cool how people in 鶹Ƶ can pack all these bags that are sent around the world to help a bunch of people.”
The impact of this event — with over 552,000 total meals achieved by 鶹Ƶ — demonstrates the community’s continuous love of service and commitment to helping others.
“A lot of students might not know what it’s like to not have all of their necessities, so I think it’s good that we can give our time and give back to communities that don’t have the same privilege that we do,” said Griffin. “It’s amazing that we can learn from that experience and help others, and make an impact around the world.”