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Volunteers pack 150,000 meals in just a few hours

Posted at 5:44 PM, Jun 19, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-19 17:44:08-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Volunteers working with the Heart of West Michigan United Way packed about 150,000 meal servings Wednesday afternoon.

The annual 'Food from the Heart' event is in it's fourth year. Katelyn Kovalic, Volunteer Center Manager at United Way West MI, says the event is the single largest of it's kind in the entire state.

"We are packing 150,000 meal servings, and those are so essential right now as school is out for the summer," she said.

About 700 volunteers pack meals for two hours. This year, they were packing apple cinnamon oatmeal bags and ready-to-cook rice, bean and veggie meal bags.

The packed about 25,000 bags Wednesday, which will equate to about 150,000 servings.

The effort happens over the summer months to help make sure young people that would usually be eating at school, still have access to nutritious food during break.

“One in nine residents in our community, our neighbors, are struggling with food insecurity. And that isn’t just hunger, just growling bellies. it Is access to fresh food, nutritious foods and access that's close to their home on a regular basis," Kovalic says.

Click here to donate to Heart of West Michigan United Way.