For years, the Lions District in the Lakeland area has organized hundreds of volunteers to package meals for families in the Northwoods around the world.
This year, they’re looking to double what they did last year.
This Saturday, hundreds of volunteers will take over the cafeteria at Lakeland Union High School.
Long tables will be set up with assembly lines to turn 222 cases of food into 175,000 to 200,000 packaged meals all within four hours.
It’s an impressive feat the Lions District has down to a science. And this is expected to be even more impressive as the goal has nearly doubled from 116 cases to 222.
“The need is there. With the cost of food going up. The cost of gas going up and inflation in general. What you could buy before you can’t buy now,” said Laura Bertch, she’s the Lions District Hunger Chairperson.
To make the Food for Kidz event successful once again, the Lions District needs between 500 to 600 volunteers.
People can sign up before or after the main event to set up and clean up.
But what they really need is to work either or both shifts the day of to help package meals.
“We really do need anybody to say, ‘Who me?’ and I’ll say ‘Yes, you!’ Anybody that’s listening that has time on their hands that could come and help and bring their kids or their friends or their other club members then we can have a great event. We’ll continue to do this as long as we have the support from the community that we’ve had in the past,” said Bertch.
The food packaging event is this Saturday, October 22 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
You can sign up online hereor by calling Meghan Anderson at 715-614-3816 or Laura Bertch at 715-892-1204
The food packaged comes from the Food for Kidz organization. It will be distributed to local food pantries and backpack programs. It will also go to children in need around the world.
