40 Volunteers Pack Meals for Hungry Kids in North Carolina

When school lets out on Friday afternoon, one in four children in North Carolina's Sandhills region faces an uncertain question: Will there be food at home this weekend?

On Wednesday, 40 volunteers decided to do something about it. They gathered at Fayetteville's Crown Coliseum to pack thousands of meal kits for kids who might otherwise go hungry when school cafeterias close.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina organized the event as part of its child hunger initiative. The mission is simple but powerful: make sure children can focus on being kids, not where their next meal is coming from.

Robert Smith drove 40 minutes from Lumberton to help. "I wanted to give back, make sure kids, when they go to school, they can focus on education, not I'm hungry," he said.

Caroline Kaye chose to spend her spring break volunteering alongside her grandmother. "I like the feeling that I get afterwards, like the sense that I did something good for someone else who needs it," she said.

Each meal kit contains carefully selected items that kids can easily prepare themselves. Two milk cartons, two cereals, two fruit cups, and two pop-top cans go into every bag, ensuring children have balanced nutrition even when they're away from school.

"Kids are covered at school with breakfast, lunch and dinner," explained Carlene Morales, interim director of development at Second Harvest Food Bank. "But when they go home on the weekend, there's that uncertainty if there's going to be food there or not."

The Ripple Effect

The impact extends far beyond full stomachs. When children know they'll have meals waiting at home, they can concentrate on homework, play with friends, and simply enjoy their childhood. Parents get support during challenging times, and entire families feel the community standing with them.

Volunteer Sandra Napier put it simply: "This is a wonderful opportunity, and if anybody has a chance to do it, they need to do so."

The packed meal kits now head to schools across the Sandhills, reaching children who need them most. Second Harvest Food Bank continues welcoming volunteers ready to turn compassion into action, one meal kit at a time.