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Pack-A-Thon Provides Meals for Over 130,000
Packathon Promo from Feed the Hunger on Vimeo.
Ole Miss student organization, Feed the Hunger, hosted its annual Pack-A-Thon at the Oxford Intermediate School this past weekend.
Feed the Hunger works to provide support for those in need both in the United States and in other countries.
“Feed the Hunger is a Christian mission organization that helps people in spiritual and physical need,” Chairman Claire Dutreix said. “Physical hunger is met through the provision of nutritious food, clean water, and emergencies aid and relief.”
The program’s Pack-A-Thon helps package nutritious meals that are distributed through partnerships to places such as Haiti and Kenya, Dutreix said.
The planning of each Pack-A-Thon begins immediately after the last one ends.
“It takes a year of dedication, passion, enthusiasm and hard work from a committee of young men and women eager to fundraise and make a difference nationally and internationally,” Dutreix said.
The organization brings in the community by involving university organizations along with local businesses to help.
“It takes an entire community coming together for a successful Pack-A-Thon,” Dutreix said.
Dutreix explained how this philanthropy is different from others because it brings the community together to help out those who are not as fortunate.
“What makes this philanthropy important is that it is far more than just a website or gofundme page, but a unique opportunity to bring a community together to physically pack the meals being sent off,” Dutreix said.
World hunger is not just in different countries, but it is happening “in our own backyard in Mississippi,” Dutreix said.
“This year, the meals packed were being sent to Haiti, Kentucky and some kept here in Mississippi,” Dutreix said. “It is our duty to give back wherever and whenever we can.”
This year’s Pack-A-Thon was able to pack over 130,000 meals with the help of over 1,000 volunteers, and the planning for the 2019 Pack-A-Thon has already begun.
By Talbert Toole, associate editor of HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at talbert.toole@hottytoddy.com.