Page 21 - 2019 Annual Report United Way

At United Way, we march to the beat of positive change. Here are just a couple success stories that serve as a testament to the impact we are making every day. REVVED UP TO FIGHT HUNGER Combat Hunger Launches New Meal Kit Featuring Enhanced and Complete Dinners One of UWNCM’s signature initiatives is to take on food insecurity in our area through the Combat Hunger Initiative. In addition to donations, it is supported by volunteers who come together to package meals that are then delivered to local food pantries. This program has been going strong since 2013 and will package its one-millionth meal by the end of 2019. Even though this program has been feeding thousands of families, UWNCM Volunteer Center Manager Fran Longton recognized an opportunity to expand the program to reach even more families and individuals. In the spring of 2019, UWNCM debuted the new “Combat Hunger Revved UP” meal kit, a complete dinner that builds on Combat Hunger’s traditional meal packages by featuring additional food items and expanded flavors. The new kits include both the standard and new dry meal packages, such as minestrone soup and cheesy rice, as well as canned vegetables and herb and spice packets. The kits provide full dinners for up to six people, can be customized for regional food preferences, and contain recipe cards and oatmeal packages for the next day’s breakfast. “We talked to food pantries and determined that a more complete and customized kit would better serve their clients,” says Longton. “We also sought to extend their use by adding more foods and flavors as well as recipe cards.” In its initial phase, the kits were packaged by volunteers from Aubuchon Hardware and distributed to local food pantries where they were tested. After receiving positive feedback from customers, UWNCM partnered with the Spanish American Center of Leominster to distribute the kits at their weekly soup kitchen, where Growing Places also provided fresh produce and demonstrated ways to enhance the food with spices. “So far the pilot has been a success, and we are looking forward to expanding the program to help even more families!” Says Longton. 2019 YEAR END REPORT 20