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Writer's pictureDrew Bratton

Greenwood FFA: Meals of Hope


Ever since the beginning of the school year, the Greenwood FFA has been working hard to put on the Meals of Hope event. If you are unsure of what this is, the FFA will be packing 50,000 meals of oatmeal and apples that will be distributed to families within Perry and Juniata Counties. In addition, they will also be supporting local groups of Ukrainian refugees. The event will take place on Friday, March 3 from 5-9 P.M. in the Elementary Gymnasium. In order to make this happen, $15,500 would have needed to be raised. As of February 20, they have raised a grand total of $17,010!



Over the past 14 years, the FFA has had some sort of hunger event within the community. Since this Meals of Hope event has been running once every four years, this will be the third time that the event will take place at Greenwood. In previous years of holding the event, the FFA was able to support 1,300 families who rely on local food banks. 


In terms of what the event will look like, there will be a lot going on! With all of the tables set up, there will be a set amount of oatmeal, apples, cinnamon, and sugar at each table. These ingredients will be placed in individual bags, sealed, and then eventually placed into boxes. To make this happen, around 200 volunteers will be needed. The jobs throughout the evening will consist of packing the meals, making sure the supplies do not run out, packing the trucks, and making the food for the volunteers. As much as this sounds like in such a small amount of time, the event is one that you will not want to miss out on. Not only will you get to spend time with your friends and members of the community, but you will feel like there is a party going on. For every 5,000 meals that are packed, volunteers will have the chance to bang on an instrument to celebrate their accomplishments. 



The oatmeal and apples that will be included in the meals are provided by the nonprofit organization, Meals of Hope. Based in Naples, Florida, their goal is “to inspire and empower communities to come together to end hunger.” With this in mind, the Greenwood FFA has done exactly that by hosting this impactful event. As each meal costs $.30, it has taken a lot of support from the community to be able to pack so many meals. The FFA is extremely grateful for all of the community’s continued support of this event. Without them, this significant event would not be able to reach as many families in need. Specifically, the food will be donated to the Neighbor Helping Neighbor Food Bank in New Bloomfield and to the Juniata County Food Pantry in Mifflintown. 


Since the event is coming up very soon, the FFA is thrilled to be able to connect the community (volunteers from businesses, churches, organizations, Greenwood students, etc.) in a way that supports those around us. If you are interested in helping out at the event, feel free to contact Mrs. Pontius. There will be two different shifts within the event. The first shift will be from 5-7 P.M. and the second shift will be from 7-9 P.M. The local Granges will be partnering to provide a meal to the volunteers. In addition, there will be a limited number of shirts (shown in the picture below) for sale at the event if you missed purchasing them during the sale. The FFA is looking forward to seeing you there and showing the true meaning of helping your neighbors. 



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