Rotary clubs join hands to tackle hunger Project Outreach Hunger will assemble 40,000 meals with the help of over 200 volunteers for distribution to local NGOs which strive for hunger-free society.
Members of the five Rotary clubs in Northampton County (Pennsylvania, US – RID 7430) will assemble tens of thousands of meals this weekend for families in need, and volunteers are welcome.
Outreach Hunger 2019 will be held Saturday in Haupert Hall at Moravian College.
Organisers plan to assemble the same number of dry-ingredient, nonperishable meals as last year — 40,000, double the number from the inaugural 2017 event.
Project coordinator Ron Searfoss, assistant governor of Rotary Area 2 and past president of the Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary, said 225 volunteers pitched in last year to make the meal kits, which include rice, beans and oatmeal.
“It’s a lot of the members from clubs themselves, plus family, friends and relatives,” he said.
“We had people from 5 to 6 years old to 93. People have a real good time with it.”
Volunteers work 90-minute shifts on seven production lines.
The event begins with setup at 7.30 am and is expected to last until about 4.30 pm.
Tackling hunger is one of the major missions of Rotary International.
The service organisation has about 1.2 million members in more than 35,000 clubs around the world.
“One in five children in America face food insecurity. And it is happening right here in our community,” Searfoss said.
“It is very hard for children to learn in school if they are hungry.”
The Bethlehem Morning Star, and the Bethlehem, Nazareth, Easton and Saucon Center Valley clubs each determine the distribution of their share of the meals.
Last year’s recipients included the Salvation Army, Hispanic Center, Northeast Ministries, Grace Church, New Bethany Ministries and St Joe’s Community Center, and the Central Moravian and Nazareth food banks.
Source: The Morning Call
