(above) Over 1,000 volunteers packaged 200,600 meals during the 2019 End Hunger 3.6 Project. Volunteers came from local Rotary Clubs, community organizations, churches, youth groups, schools, and more. The next event will be held on March 7, 2020 at the Simon Forum at Drew University. For more information visit madisonrotarynj.org.
End Hunger 3.6 Project Returns to Madison
Submitted by Carmela Moeller
Representing Rotary District 7475, the Rotary Club of Madison will host the 5th Annual End Hunger 3.6 Project on March 7, 2020 at the Simon Forum at Drew University.
Once again, the packaging of nutritious meals for the food insecure in the area will take place with the help of 600-800 volunteers. The meals are mac & cheese, apple cinnamon oatmeal, minestrone soup, and rice and beans. The ingredients are vitamin enriched, non-GMO, non-perishable, and ready to cook. The meals are distributed to numerous feeding facilities and soup kitchens throughout the Rotary District which includes Morris, Essex, Sussex, Warren and Hunterdon counties, as well as parts of Somerset County.
The project involves volunteers packaging the ingredients into bags which are weighed, sealed and then boxed. Each bag contains 6 meals. Each box contains 36 bags, hence 216 meals per box. The project has grown exponentially from 52,000 meals to 200,000 meals. The goal this year is 250,000 meals.
Why 3.6? According to statistics, every 3.6 seconds someone in the world dies of starvation. Some of our past recipient organizations include the Market Street Mission in Morris County, St John’s Soup Kitchen in Newark as well as M.E.N.D. in Essex County, and the Salvation Army, which has over 500 feeding stations throughout New Jersey. The Northwest Counties receive their allotments through the services of NORWESCAP. We have been told by some organizations that were it not for our contribution, “they would not be able to feed their clients the next day.”
Clearly, there is a need, and with public support, we can make a difference to the nearly 1 million people living in New Jersey at the poverty level. Approximate cost per meal is 25 cents. $10 = 40 meals; $50 = 200 meals, $100 = 400 meals, etc. Please consider donating so the ingredients for this project may be purchased. Make checks payable to the Madison Rotary Foundation (a 501c(3) organization), P. O. Box 211, Madison, NJ 07940. Register to become a volunteer by visiting our website: madisonrotarynj.org. Questions about volunteering should be directed to Pat Miller at pcmiller15@verizon.net.
