Volunteers to pack Holiday Meal Boxes for the hungry Nov. 17 — donations needed

Online Staff Report

Saturday, Nov. 17, more than 50 volunteers will work together at Northern Illinois Food Bank’s (NIFB) Northwest Center, 6315 N. Second St., Loves Park, Ill., to assemble thousands of boxes of food to create Holiday Meal Boxes for northern Illinois families at risk of hunger.

Each box — which will contain stuffing and potato mixes; canned yams, vegetables and fruits; coffee; and dessert — will provide a holiday meal for a family of eight. The boxes will later be paired with a turkey to make a complete holiday meal, and will be distributed through NIFB’s partner food pantries to families at risk of hunger.

Donations are needed for the program. $30 provides a Holiday Meal Box for a family of eight. Visit www.SolveHungerToday.org for more information, or call (630) 443-6910.

The volunteers working at the center Nov. 17 will pack more than 3,000 meal boxes for distribution to hungry neighbors in a four-county area. Across its 13-county northern Illinois service area, NIFB plans to distribute at least 30,000 boxes to families in need.

One in eight people in northern Illinois faces hunger. Through the Holiday Meal Box program, NIFB and its partners and supporters help families in need enjoy the holiday. Volunteers enjoy the camaraderie of packing boxes for hungry neighbors in a festive environment.

Posted Nov. 16, 2012