Wi-Act’s Rise Against Hunger Tops Prior Year with 141,235 Meals Packaged by 700+ Volunteers [Photos]

The Wilton community came together to package 141,235 meals at Wi-Act’s Rise Against Hunger (RAH) meal-packaging on Saturday, Oct. 19 — up from 137,000 packed at the event held this time last year. The final two-hour shift (the last of four shifts held throughout the day) was populated by many ASML volunteers who joined many Wilton residents to set a new single-shift record, packaging over 45,000 meals — the highest meal output for one shift out of Wi-Act’s RAH events over the past 13 years.

Wi-Act officials were grateful to the more than 700 volunteers from across the Wilton community (over 700 strong) for their participation. Many children and youth took part, from a set-up shift staffed largely by Boy Scouts from Troops 20 and 125 along with their adult leaders, to several Girl Scout Troops who pitched in as very energetic shift volunteers. Throughout the day, every age group from children to senior citizens was represented, including college-age youth who came back to Wilton specifically to be part of this annual event.

Meals packaged during the day are sent to wherever the need is greatest at the time of the event is held. Meals produced during previous events have gone to Haiti, sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America, the Philippines and Vietnam. The meals are served in educational settings where they are part of supporting the children served to be nourished in mind as well as in body. According to Rise Against Hunger personnel, each meal meets the nutritional needs for a day — which means the 141,235 meals packaged by Wilton will feed 387 children for an entire year.

After the meals were boxed and loaded onto pallets in Wilton at the event, the meals were sent by truck to the Port of New Jersey to be shipped to where they’re most needed. Rise Against Hunger includes in the shipping containers water purification equipment and other lifesaving and sustainability enhancing equipment and supplies.

Wi-Act raises the funds to purchase the bulk ingredients through Rise Against Hunger at a cost of 40 cents per meal, totaling $56,500. Wi-Act steering committee members thanked the supporters who donated the funds to make the event possible, including the 11 member faith institutions that make up Wi-Act, individual participants, the Wilton Kiwanis Club, the Barat Foundation of Sacred Heart Academy in Greenwich, the Wilton Rotary Club, ASML, Caraluzzi’s Markets, Fairfield County Bank, Garavel Autos, Gregory and Adams, P.C., Orem’s Diner, Rise Doughnuts, Little Pub, Village Market and Wilton Auto and Tire. Of special note, Rise Doughnuts donated over 400 doughnuts as a reward to the hard-working volunteers.

At the request of Wi-Act, meal-packaging volunteers also brought what organizers called “a banner outpouring” of nonperishable food donations to the event to be distributed between the Wilton Food Pantry and other local pantries.

The Wi-Act Steering Committee is made up of 36 members of 11 Wilton faith institutions including those from the Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim faiths.