More than 500 volunteers gathered Friday evening at the Beaver Athletics and Wellness Center at Penn State Berks to pack 250,000 meals for Berks County families facing food insecurity during the 10th annual Big Cheese event hosted by United Way of Berks County.
Volunteers spent the evening assembling nutritionally fortified mac and cheese and apple cinnamon oatmeal meals that will be distributed throughout the county through Helping Harvest. A portion of the meals will also be provided directly to the Reading School District to support students in need throughout the year.
The annual event, which marked its 10th year, brought together community members, businesses and local organizations in a coordinated effort to address hunger across Berks County.
“For ten years, United Way Big Cheese volunteers have shown what it means to make a difference, giving their time, their energy and their hearts so that families in our community do not have to face hunger alone,” said Tammy White, president of United Way of Berks County.
“Because of their generosity, 250,000 meals will reach neighbors across Berks County. From children who need nutritious meals to succeed in school to families working hard but struggling to make ends meet, these meals provide both nourishment and hope. Big Cheese is a powerful example of what can happen when a community comes together to care for one another,” White said.
United Way partnered with The Outreach Program for the meal-packing event. Each meal contains dry ingredients that make approximately six servings and costs about 25 cents to produce.
Funding for the event was provided through United Way’s Community Impact budget along with contributions from corporate and community partners.
The meals packed Friday night are expected to help support children, families and individuals experiencing food insecurity throughout Berks County in the months ahead.