Wilton Shows It Cares: 700 Volunteers Package 150,300 Meals to Rise Against Hunger

Year after year the Wilton Interfaith Action Committee (Wi-Act ) delivers the largest single-day volunteer event for Rise Against Hunger in New England. Occurring annually the third week of October, this year’s effort on Saturday, Oct. 18, featured 700 volunteer shift workers who packaged 150,300 meals to be sent to those in greatest need. As part of the Rise Against Hunger program, the meals are served in an educational setting, which event organizers like to say “feeds the body while nourishing the mind.”

This year the meals packaged at the Wilton event will go to Burundi in Central Africa (60%) and Timor-Leste in Southeast Asia (40%).

Organizers said the 2025 event had a different feeling than in past years.

“In all of the 13 years of this event, this was the most efficient and most smoothly operating, including with so many excellent volunteers,” Director of Packaging Floor Operations Tim Cummins said.

Efficiency and getting volunteers, organizers have learned, is the key to Wilton’s continued success.

They were grateful for some special help from Wilton Boy Scouts. “The Boy Scouts of Troops 20 and 125, along with their adult leaders, did a superb job in their work on the set-up shift for the event from 7:15 a.m. to right before the first meal-packaging shift began at 9 am. Their work assured that operations could begin right on time and contributed materially to the success of the event,” Cummins added.

One element for success that Wi-ACT knows needs to be tip-top shape right from the start is the volunteer sign-up website. It’s an unlikely — and unsung — area that doesn’t get praised enough, according to Wi-Act’s webmaster Paul Breitenbach, who noted how well volunteers use Wi-Act’s on-line registration system to volunteer for meal-packaging shifts.

“Using this system really helps with planning for the event, given the large number of volunteers needed on each of the four two-hour shifts to accomplish packaging 150,000 meals,” he said.

Once those same volunteers arrived for their shifts, that same efficiency ensured they were able to get to work quickly, according to Wi-Act Steering Committee members Phyllis Boozer, Kathleen Rooney and Marilyn Van Raalte, who appreciated for how well volunteers spanning ages from very young to advanced seniors moved through the registration process on arrival with joy and enthusiasm.

Importantly, not only does the event feed so many in countries far away but it also helps out immediately right at home.

“We on Wi-Act’s Steering Committee were impressed with the number of nonperishable foods items donated by volunteers that went to local food pantries right after the event,” committee member Jane Alexander said.

Wi-ACT Chair Steve Hudspeth described how meaningful an experience volunteering for the meal packing event is — that benefit of feeling good from doing good.

“We’re told time and again by parents and grandparents that the experience had by these young people echoes in conversations at their dinner tables for days afterwards. They, just like all of us adults, come away knowing that they’ve made a real contribution to the wellbeing (and indeed the very lives) of over 400 children otherwise in dire hunger circumstances.”

Steering Committee member John Ambler summed it up this way, “It’s so heartening to see this event draw volunteers from across the Wilton community in such great numbers and with such an uplifting spirit to do this highly important work.”

Importantly, that performance excellence and volunteer response has been so consistently excellent over the years that Wi-Act and Rise Against Hunger are currently on schedule to achieve more than 2 million meals cumulatively at next year’s event, scheduled for Oct. 17, 2026. After this year’s meal-packaging session, Wilton’s event has generated 1,872,000 meals over the 13 years it’s been held.

Jack McFadden, who leads fundraising to make the event possible, can’t wait for next year’s “2 Million Meals” event.

“We are already starting to think about support for next year. Our loyal sponsors will want to be part of this historic achievement, and we welcome new partners to be part of what promises to be an amazing experience.”

While celebrating this year’s event, Wi-ACT’s steering committee said it wouldn’t be possible without the many businesses, organizations, faith institutions and individuals whose donations made it possible, including ASML. Wilton Kiwanis Club, Elizabeth Raymond Ambler Trust, Wilton Rotary, Caraluzzi’s, Fairfield County Bank, Fred Kaoud Oriental Rugs, Garavel Autos, Gregory and Adams, P.C., Little Pub, Orem’s, Rise Doughnuts, Sly Bandit Brewery and Wilton Auto & Tire.

Steering committee member Donya Sadeghi made a special mention of thanks to the Village Market, who treated all participants to the store’s baked goods after each shift noting ”how good the donated Village Market pastries were and how much the volunteers appreciated those special treats after their two hours of intensive work on meal packaging.”