*** post was made prior to COVID-19 ***

When I was in middle and high school I attended two of the Rise Against Hunger events. It was so impactful on me and I felt like I was really playing a small part in something far greater than I could’ve ever imagined. But let me start on the basics and the RAH mission and go int how the event rolls.

The Basics/The Mission

Rise Against Hunger’s Mission is to end hunger by 2030, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Goal #2 of Zero Hunger.

“From the implementation of sustainable community development projects to our meal packaging program that harnesses the passion of local volunteers, we strive to make an impact on hunger by building resilience, self-sufficiency and empowerment in communities worldwide.”

The three ways that they plan on doing that is by nourishing lives, responding to emergencies, and empowering communities. They are partnered with programs that that provide nourishment as well as education, skills training or health services that support the difficult journey out of poverty as well as programs promoting improved agricultural methods, business skills and market access. With training and access to quality seeds and fertilizers, farmers can increase production and harvest a variety of nutritious crops. 

From droughts to floods, in conflict zones and transitioning political situations, food is often the most immediate need. When everyday access to food, wages, and market systems are destroyed in the wake of emergencies, Rise Against Hunger works through a network of in-country partners to address these needs. They strive to ensure aid is efficiently and effectively deployed to and received by communities when it is needed most.

How to Get Involved

You can host a Rise Against Hunger meal packaging event with your workplace, civic club, faith community or school, and we’ll bring our interactive meal packaging experience to the location of your choice. A group of 40-50 volunteers can package a full pallet of 14,256 meals in about two hours. The Rise Against Hunger Experience events provide a fun, educational way for groups to literally lend a hand to people in critical aid need across the globe. They combine an assembly line process with an educational experience to not only make a huge impact worldwide, but to touch the lives of those in the group. 

I had planned to do a meal packaging event this year right before Covid-19 hit for my church and community. It was going to be a huge job but I was totally up for it. I feel like it’s an experience that every one should have at least once in their life. Intially when packaging the food it at first appeared to be just rice and soy but for someone in need it’s way more than just that. One in three people worldwide are adversely affected by vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Rise Against Hunger meals, packaged by volunteers, are designed to provide a comprehensive array of micronutrients. Rise Against Hunger meals include enriched rice, soy protein, dried vegetables and 20 essential vitamins and nutrients.

Hosting an Event

To start, there are three key factors to consider when planning an event like this and you will get all of this information when you apply for an event!

• Number of Meals
• • • While we can host smaller events at the Rise Against Hunger Warehouse, the minimum number of meals for them to travel to a facility is 10,152.

• Number of Volunteers (anyone between the ages of 5 and 105)
• Fundraising (Groups are responsible for Fundraising on a ‘per meal’ basis)

They provide a chart when you apply that can be helpful in planning your event.  If you have a specific number of volunteers in mind, you can determine an appropriate number of meals to plan for.  If your goal is to package a certain number of meals, you can figure out a minimum and maximum number of volunteers to recruit. The fundraising requirement is also shown on the chart. Each meal costs about $0.34 

But for example, say you wanted to package 1,000 meals which is actually 1,080 meals and it’ll costs you and your group $356.40. The more meals you do the less the meals cost based on the chart but only by a cent or so. The minimal amount of volunteers for an even that size is 8 with with max being 20.

Another example say you have 40 volunteers, 40 volunteers can package 10,000 (10,152) meals and would cost your group in donations $3,451.68. Which you will have time to come up with depending on the day that you chose to host it. But that’s not all you have to do. 

What else is required of you? (beyond volunteers and donations)

• SUITABLY-SIZED, ENCLOSED SPACE (they also have an option for you to come to them in the Raleigh, NC area)
  • • The Rise Against Hunger – Raleigh Warehouse can host up to 250 people
    • You can plan to work in SHIFTS there are challenges of space or scheduling 
• TABLES – ideally, plan on one 6-foot table for every 5 people
  • • If 8-foot tables, we would only require one for every 6-7 volunteers.
    • Rise Against Hunger MAY be able to rent you tables for your event, depending on availability.
• SETUP VOLUNTEERS
  • Rise Against Hunger will only have 1 facilitator at most events, sometimes 2-3 for bigger events.  It is the responsibility of the facilitator to coordinate setup, not to do all of the setup work.
  • At least some setup volunteers should be capable of lifting 50 pound ingredient bags.

They Provide:

• All the equipment, ingredients, food safety necessities & educational materials for a fun, impactful, fulfilling experience – including the GONG & MUSIC.
• Once your event is confirmed, they can set up a webpage dedicated to your event. It is an easy, helpful tool for getting the word out about your event, collecting donations and getting participants registered. Your customized URL will be events.riseagainsthunger.org/YourEventName

Conclusion

In conclusion, you can tell this is a huge event and it definitely requires a lot from the volunteers and the community hosting the event. But the impact is amazing for those in need and you feel so accomplished by the end of it. It’s a small way that you and your group of friends can make a huge impact in the world. 

What do you think about this event? 

with love,

c.p