More Than 900 Volunteers to Pack 16,000 Pounds of Thanksgiving Food

HAMPTON ROADS

Families will come together Saturday, November 21, 2015  for the 17th annual Family VOLUNTEER Day to prepare Thanksgiving gift baskets.  The project is being presented by VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads (VHR) and will take place at Virginia Wesleyan College from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

More than 900 volunteers will be packing non-perishable food for 14 non-profits, including homeless and domestic abuse shelters and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank. “This effort requires months of planning and assistance from many sources including our food donors, in-kind donors, companies who provide transportation support and the logistical support provided by the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia,” states Kate Meechan, Executive Director of VHR. 

Volunteers help to pack the donated food and load trucks that will deliver the product to the recipient non-profit agency. Participating volunteers are asked to bring nonperishable food products that will be donated to the Foodbank. Suggested items include peanut butter, canned meat and tuna, canned fruit and vegetables, beans, pasta and sauce. 

Non-profits benefiting this year include: Barrett Haven, ForKids, The Genieve Shelter, H.E.R. Shelter, Hope House Foundation, Judeo-Christian Outreach Center, NATASHA House, Salvation Army Tidewater Area Command, Samaritan House, Seton Youth Shelters, Union Mission Ministries, Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank. Together these organizations represent and serve six cities across Hampton Roads. Each non-profit will receive 60 boxes of nutritious nonperishable food products. 

“This is such a unique and inspiring event,” said Tabitha Yanulavich Family VOLUNTEER Day Co-Chair and Marketing & Business Development Coordinator for McPhillips, Roberts & Deans. “It is touching to see so many people come together, with family of all ages, friends and co-workers, all for the common cause of feeding the hungry in our community.” 

Volunteering as a family provides quality time, strengthens communication and is a great opportunity for family members to serve as role models while making significant contributions to their communities.  

For more information about the project or learn how to register, visit www.volunteerhr.org, call VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads at (757) 624-2400.