In partnership with Stop Hunger Now, Service NC State students were successful in packaging more than 80,000 meals Friday during the 10th annual Meal Packaging Event held in Carmichael Gym.
Service NC State was able to easily surpass its goal of 75,000 meals by raising more than $22,000. The meals that were packaged Friday will be sent to schools, orphanages and foster homes in the northern part of Nicaragua.
“It’s part of NC State’s commitment not only to the community but to solving really pressing global challenges that we engage in this kind of work,” said Nathan Thomas a committee chairperson for the event and an NC State alumnus. “Bringing 300 students together on a night like this where we’re packaging 80,000 meals is not only part of the mission of NC State, but it’s part of what it means to be part of the Wolfpack.”
Stop Hunger Now is an international hunger-relief organization that distributes meals in 71 countries around the world in an effort to end world hunger.
“Hunger is unacceptable,” said Darron Stover, Stop Hunger Now’s Raleigh program manager.
“The idea that this world produces four pounds of food per person, per day tells you how much food gets wasted on a regular basis,” Stover said. “The fact that 21,000 people die every day from hunger is unacceptable to me the same way it was unacceptable for people to die in a terrorist attack, in a mudslide or a tsunami.”
For the students involved with NC State’s Meal Packaging Event, ending the fight against hunger is very important.
“I think it shows the volunteerism spirit of NC State,” said Karli Moore a senior studying chemistry and student body treasurer. “What we do in the classroom is try to develop ideas that will solve the big issues of the world, one of which is hunger. We’re learning how to do that theoretically but also putting it into practice.”
Those involved with this event also recognized what a great contribution this is to the global community.
“I think most of the time I don’t think about food because that’s one of the basic things that you should have,” said Chad Butts, a freshman studying first-year engineering. “My stomach’s full right now because I just had dinner, but across the world somebody hasn’t eaten all day. I think it’s important for us to recognize that and do what we can to help.”
Stover said the efforts put forth by the students involved Friday says a lot.
“Maybe not everybody knew what they were getting into when they got here tonight, but the point is that they’re going to leave here knowing that they did something amazing and impactful,” Stover said. “Hopefully it makes them feel moved to do something even more.”
After being filled with the appropriate foods, bags are sent over to be weighed and sealed. Bags must be weighed before they're given the "greenlight" to be sealed and packaged away for shipment. Service NC State occuring in Carmichael Gym on Friday, November 13, 2015.
