Food for Kidz is once again calling for hundreds of volunteers to help package food.
The annual event next weekend in Minocqua helps feed families locally and across the world.
The Food for Kidz event will be held at Lakeland Union High School on October 26th.
Volunteers will spend their Saturday packaging meals, helping the event surpass 2.5 million meals in the 16 years its been happening.
Meghan Anderson is the Food for Kidz Northwoods Co-Chair. She says last year, they packaged more than 243,000 meals. The goal this year is to package 300,000.
“The need alone, just from our local food pantries and backpack programs, is so high. Then whatever we don't use, we put back on the truck, and then they'll send it wherever it's needed,” said Anderson.
Anderson says 19 local food pantries and backpack programs will receive food. That’s an increase from 12 two years ago.
To help meet this increased need, Food for Kidz is adding more tables, which means more volunteers.
They’re looking for 500 to 600 people.
Anderson says they especially need people for the 2nd shift as well as set up on Friday and clean up Saturday afternoon.
“I used to go and package with my kids as a volunteer. It was a lot of fun. We felt really good after we got done packaging. We were able to help so many people in a really short period of time. And I thought, this is a great thing to teach my kids to be caring of children, other kids that are less fortunate in the area and throughout the world too,” said Anderson.
The shifts have been moved back an hour this year.
The first one is from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., the second from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m.
You can sign up for a shift ahead of time online or show up day of. If you're planning on coming with a group, it's recommended to sign up online.
Anderson says they can also use monetary donations to help purchase the meals.
These donation checks should be made out to “Food for Kidz” and mailed to: Food for Kidz, Attn.: Laura Bertch, PO Box 61, Boulder Junction, WI 54512.