Outreach Program and AARP Pack over 1.2 Million Meals on 9/11!

Posted on September 16, 2015
by admin

“This is the first time I’ve ever volunteered to do anything. I didn’t know it could be so much fun to help the hungry.” – Meal-Packaging Volunteer Roberto Tjeda

More than 5,000 AARP volunteers and employee’s packaged over 1.2 million Outreach Program Rice and Bean Casserole meals in Washington, DC on Friday, September 11 to help feed hungry seniors and veterans in the DC area.

AARP received permission from the National Parks Service to secure an area on the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument to conduct the packaging event. An air-conditioned building was set up to house over 700 volunteers during each shift.

Table Captains get instructions from Matt Hamilton, VP of Operations for Outreach.

Volunteers line up ready to be assigned to one of the 62 packaging lines that were set up for the event.

Packaging was stopped for a moment of silence during the event to honor those whose lives were tragically taken on 9/11.

AARP volunteers learned about other AARP services and service opportunities at these kiosks.

Volunteers celebrate the announcement of packaging the One Millionth Meal.

The Capital Area Food Bank will distribute these meals to people in need in Maryland, DC, and Virginia.

Outreach founder Floyd Hammer said, “This is the third million-meal event we’ve had with AARP. Our meals, which have been formulated by Iowa State University’s Food Science Department, are nutritious and taste good. Seniors, kids, and veterans like the meals. An event like this is a perfect way for a corporation or organization to affordably meet their corporate social responsibility goals, involve hundreds of volunteers, raise sponsor awareness, have fun, and provide a needed community service. The events are a fantastic way to engage employees and volunteers in their community.”

AARP CEO Joann Jenkins said, “When we started working on senior hunger 5 years ago, Outreach and Floyd and Kathy were the first ones we brought to the table to ask how can we do this in the most efficient way. I can’t say that we’ve had a better partner than Outreach in helping figure out how to package and deliver nutritional meals that are really going to make a difference in the lives of the people we’re trying to serve.

AARP Foundation President Lisa Marsh-Ryerson said, “Today is a fabulous day for the AARP Foundation and for the millions of seniors who struggle across this nation. To be here with our colleagues from Outreach, our colleagues from the Capital Area Food Bank and Chase Card Services, the United Health Care and the Hartford, and 5,000 dedicated Hunger Heroes who are lifting up their hearts and their hands in service to low income seniors, is truly amazing! This day is a day of remembrance for us and we’ve taken that energy of neighbors helping neighbors and have come together to help seniors in need.”

AARP Vice President of Hunger-Impact, Jim Lutzweiler said, “This is a fantastic event. Obviously it generates a lot of awareness; it brings people together; and it gives us a chance to ingrain our colleagues in our work to see what we do on a daily basis. But more than that, this product will help feed hungry seniors and veterans.”