The numbers are stunning: for this year’s Rise Against Hunger event, more than 600 volunteers — over 3% of Wilton’s population — gathered Saturday, Oct. 22 at WEPCO to package more than 135,000 meals that will feed approximately 400 hungry children for a year!
But it’s what generated the numbers that amazes the members of the Wilton Interfaith Action Committee (Wi-Act), which organizes and runs the Rise Against Hunger meals-packaging event. They call this a year of miracles. After COVID caused a complete hiatus in 2020 followed by last year’s necessarily tightly constrained event, this year there was a huge outpouring of support with record-high donations and about 3 1/2 times the number of volunteers one year ago.
“Both funding and volunteers came from Wi-ACT’s 12 Wilton faith institutions, from leading and extremely generous Wilton corporations and civic organizations, and from individuals who gave so thoughtfully (in many cases having done so for multiple years). The result is providing enough food to feed children in the worst of circumstances of hunger for a full year in educational settings where they can be nourished in mind as well as in body,” Wi-Act’s chair, Stephen Hudspeth said.
Along with the meals packaged, volunteers donated enough food and care products for the Wilton Food Pantry to fill three SUVs.
“It’s wonderful when one event can support hungry children around the world, but also the food insecure in Wilton,” Lauren Hughes, Wilton Social Services Coordinator, said.
Paul Breitenbach, who managed the event website and registration logistics with his high school-aged daughter Ella, called the event “a priceless Wilton tradition.”
“Those who benefit directly from this event are certainly hungry children. But it’s impossible to assign too high a value to the opportunity for Wilton’s citizens to experience hands-on service with friends and neighbors, and within families, often grandparents and grandkids working side-by-side,” Breitenbach said.
He added that many participants were families new to Wilton and that a third of the volunteers were children and young adults.
Jack McFadden, who along with fellow Wilton Kiwanis Club member and Wi-Act treasurer Dave Gortz, focused on fundraising,
He said a highlight of the event was “seeing families emerge from working two-hour shifts on a ‘righteous high’ from the joy of service and being greeted with free Rise Doughnuts. It doesn’t get better than that!” McFadden acknowledged the support and participation from a new leading sponsor ASML and the Fairfield County Bank as well as the continued high level of support from the Wilton Kiwanis Club.
Other corporate sponsors whose essential contributions paid for the meal ingredients were Garavel Autos, Wilton Rotary, Caraluzzi’s, Gregory and Adams, P.C., Orem’s, the Village Market, and The Little Pub. Organizers also said they “can always count on the financial support of Wilton’s faith institutions and very generous individuals.”
Wi-Act’s Hudspeth underscored that making this event happen is a huge team effort on the part of the 38-member Steering Committee: Jane Alexander, John Ambler, Phyllis Boozer, Ella Breitenbach, Paul Breitenbach, Tim Cummins, Tara Cummins, Patrick Cummins, Maggie Cummins, Sarvesh Damle, Pam Ely, Debbie Garber, Dave Gortz, Char Griffin, Hossein Kharazi, Berta Hull, McFadden, Dr. Golnar Raissi, Kathleen Rooney, Donya Sadeghi, Dr. Hossein Sadeghi, Marilyn Van Raalte, Madeleine Wilken, and Peggy Zamore.
Wi-Act extended special thanks to the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Brownies and their parents and Troop leaders who made the set-up shift early Saturday morning run so smoothly.
They also offered special thanks to Tim Cummins and his family in the key role of floor manager of the set-up and packaging operations — even while nursing a sore foot from recent surgery. Cummins said repeatedly, “This is my favorite day of the year!”
Wi-Act Committee member, Marilyn Van Raalte recalled one other moment that stood out. “As I was standing at the WEPCO entrance (just beyond the Rise doughnut table) checking in the fourth shift, a group of people leaving passed me. I thanked them for coming and a young boy replied, ‘I’ll be back next year,’ which to me summed up the terrific attitude of the day.”
Organizers also hope that Wilton residents will look ahead and save the date for next year’s Rise Against Hunger event, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
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