Rise Against Hunger: Junaluska Elementary students pack 20,000 meals
Nov. 12—Over 200 Junaluska Elementary School students and nearly 75 community members came together last week to assemble over 20,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger, which sends meals worldwide to feed hungry children.
It was "Make a Difference Day," the finale of Junaluska's Random Act of Kindness Week. Each grade level participated in different community service projects.
Additional events on Friday included kindergarten students singing at Smoky Mountain Health and Rehab, first-grade students packing and delivering treats to the Maggie Valley Nursing Home and second-grade students assembling cookie bags to send members of local law enforcement and fire departments.
Although there were numerous donations to fund the meal-packing event, Junaluska students raised the majority of the funds — over $12,000 to support the meals they packaged.
Among the numerous fundraisers, students participated in pajama day, hat day, popcorn day and chains of caring.
Counselor Joy Sollie said the event — and the entire Random Act of Kindness Week — was about showing kids that "they can make the world a better place."
"They have the power, even when they're little, to make someone's day better," she said.
Donations from the Calvary Road Baptist and Faith Community churches also helped with the meal packaging event. The Junaluska PTA, Ingles, PrintHaus, Kiwanis and parents sent additional funds.
Among the community members who turned out to help were Tuscola's impactU club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and JV football players, plus parents and church members.
Students packaged meals in two shifts, using an assembly-line process alongside volunteers to package meals.
Rise Against Hunger, a Raleigh-based organization, sends food and life-saving aid to the world's most vulnerable and works to end global hunger. It has provided over 225 million meals in 73 countries since 1998.
Meals consist of a vitamin packet donated by Kraft-Hines, a soy protein scoop that contains 78 grams of protein, a scoop of dehydrated vegetables and a cup of rice. The meals only require adding boiling water to be ready to serve.
"Each box is roughly 216 meals," said David Thomas-Bush, events manager for Rise Against Hunger. "That's enough to feed a child for an entire school year."
Students were selected to ring a gong every time a pallet of 1,000 meals was packed. Each ring received a celebratory shout from the entire gym.
Thomas-Bush said the meals would be loaded onto pallets and trucked back to the warehouse before being packed alongside other pallets and sent to over 30 countries worldwide, including the United States.
"We have 20 locations in the U.S. and six international locations," Thomas-Bush said, among them Nicaragua, Senegal and the Philippines.
Sollie said the school would get a postcard with a picture of the school that receives the meals.
For more information on Rise Against Hunger, visit www.riseagainsthunger.org.
