United Way, The Volunteer Center and BackPack Beginnings Partnering to Feed Children
United Way of Greater Greensboro is mobilizing the community on June 21, for Day of Action and continuing the volunteer buzz throughout July with its annual MeaningFULL meals program in partnership with The Volunteer Center of Greensboro and BackPack Beginnings.
“June 21 is United Way National Day of Action. Join us to share prosperity with neighbors who need a helping hand. MeaningFULL Meals brings food to children and adults who are hungry. Your kindness can bring nutrition into corners of our community that do not have grocery stores. Please give the gift of nutritious food,” says Michelle Gethers-Clark, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Greensboro.
Day of Action June 21
On June 21, people across the world will volunteer in their communities to celebrate United Way’s 2016 Day of Action. Day of Action is a worldwide event that promotes volunteerism. Locally, we have partnered with The Volunteer Center to offer the community multiple opportunities that support education, income, health and basic needs.
This year, the community can:
- Host a food drive
- Host a book drive
- Build hygiene kits
- Submit budget-friendly recipes.
More about these volunteer opportunities can be found on United Way’s website at: www.unitedwaygso.org. In addition, people can count down the days to Day of Action by reading United Way’s A Healthy Us blog at: www.ahealthyus.wordpress.com. People are encouraged to share their experiences and photos on social media using #DayofAction.
MeaningFULL Meals June 21 – July 25
There are over 72,000 students grades K-12 who attend Guilford County Schools. More than 67% of these students qualify for free or reduced lunch. In the summer months, many of these children do not have the same access to a nutritious meal and go hungry.
Three years ago, United Way and The Volunteer Center started MeaningFULL Meals, a summer nutrition project that seeks food donations to help feed school children in need. People are encouraged to host food drives June 21 – July 25 that will benefit food pantries at Wiley Elementary, Jackson Middle and Smith High Schools.
“Hunger remains a significant issue for many in Guilford County,” says Carley Swaim, executive director of The Volunteer Center of Greensboro. “Giving of your time and resources to help children and families have access to nutritious meals this summer is your chance to make a difference and invest in our future.”
This year, BackPack Beginnings has joined the partnership and is kicking off the MeaningFULL Meals project by making the program’s first donation of over 3,400 pounds of food. This initial food donation will be used to help stock a food pantry at Wiley Elementary School, ensuring there will be food available for students to take home when the MeaningFULL Meals begins on June 21.
“BackPack Beginnings fed 105 students at Wiley Elementary this past school year, so we are thrilled to continue to feed many of these students over the summer as well. As we know too well, hunger does not end during summer break. We are honored to partner with the United Way and Volunteer Center to serve in this MeaningFULL way,” says Parker White, Founder/Volunteer Executive Director BackPack Beginnings.
Food drive donations supporting all three pantries can be dropped off at Wiley Elementary, 600 West Terrell Street, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
