Meals of Hope Unites Multiple Cities on 9/11 Day of Service
Nearly 550,000 Meals Packed!
9/11 remains one of the most traumatic and challenging events our nation and our people have ever experienced, but it’s also brought us together as a country like never before. That’s why at Meals of Hope, we are committed to giving back to our communities, organizing meal-packing events that bring relief to the people that need it most. For our clients and volunteers, the 9/11 Day packing event helps turn a day of tragedy into a day of giving.
This year, Meals of Hope recognized the 9/11 National Day of Service with a large-scale hunger relief event in three cities: Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago. In Atlanta, where more than 715,000 people are food insecure, Meals of Hope helped organize an estimated 400 volunteers for the meal-packing event, which assembled an incredible 175,000 meals! In Boston, more than 300 volunteers packed more than 110,000 meals in just a single day. This could not come at a more critical time – it’s estimated one in three people in Massachusetts are food insecure. And in Chicago, over 500 people bonded by putting together 260,000 meals for the most vulnerable people in their community, making the day about unity and serving a higher purpose.
“We’re really excited that we’re participating in one of the 11 packing events that are happening all over the United States in remembrance of 9/11,” said Stephen Popper, President and CEO of Meals of Hope. “We’re packing our fortified cinnamon diced-apple oatmeal, which is a wonderful thing for food banks. People were packing away and having a wonderful time as they’re giving back to the community. In total, over 2.8 million meals were packed across the US!”
Courtsey of Matt Stone and the Boston Herald
A Franchise for the Community
You just won’t find anything like Meals of Hope in the franchise world. What started out as a nonprofit, Meals of Hope, soon realized its services were needed on a magnitude and scale that would better be served in the franchise model. Now, Meals of Hope has packed more than 80 million meals in the fight against the hunger crisis. For aspiring entrepreneurs who want to run their own business with tremendous profit potential, while also making a difference in peoples’ lives, this is the opportunity for you.
How do we do it? Meals of Hope franchise owners build relationships with organizations, such as charities, businesses, universities, and churches, which agree to sponsor meal-packing events. All the sponsors must do is pay for the cost of the meals, secure the venue and provide volunteers. Then, Meals of Hope take it from there, supplying the ingredients. Once the event is over, a local food bank picks up the packages.
“This is a business that’s all about building relationships,” Popper says. “Our franchise owners are going to be spending their time networking in their communities and forming relationships that are based on a shared commitment to give back. We’ve discovered that there’s no shortage of organizations, charities, businesses, houses of worship, and colleges and universities who want to host an event. When they hear the impact that one event can have, it becomes a commonsense decision to host it. The more events our franchise owners can organize, the more successful they become in business – and more importantly, the more people they’re able to help.”
Courtsey of Matt Stone and the Boston Herald
Learn More About Meals of Hope
On somber days like 9/11 Day, it’s important to remember that as a country, we’re all in this together, and that it’s going to take all of us to unite and power through the toughest of times. At Meals of Hope, we started with one mission in mind: to end the hunger crisis. Now, our franchise owners are emboldened with a mission they believe in, while also providing a livelihood for themselves and their families. To learn more, visit our research pages or request more information here.
