Warriors gather to pack 700 meals during food bank volunteer program
Wounded veterans and their families gathered to provide needed meals to 700 people in Cape Fear Valley. This group from Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) meets every month for the meal program, which is growing as more warriors learn of the impact. During this last opportunity, a record 30 volunteers helped out.
The program — in collaboration with the Second Harvest Food Bank — provides packaged food designed to supplement the nutritional needs of low-income senior citizens with a household income below 130% of the federal poverty level.
One monthly volunteer is James Carr, who retired from the US Army after a 28-year career. He learned about WWP from a fellow veteran, and one of the first WWP event emails he received was a “call to volunteer” at the Second Harvest Food Bank.
“I have dedicated my life to helping others, so naturally this Wounded Warrior Project event stood out and captured my attention,” James said. “Programs like this provide a sense of purpose for me and other warriors. We raised our hands and stood up to serve our country, and now we raise our hands to stand up and serve this community.”
This year alone, WWP warriors have volunteered more than 900 hours and packed more than 5,000 food boxes for senior citizens in seven North Carolina counties. These gatherings serve as opportunities for warriors to connect with their community while feeling empowered through helping others.
“Each month, a team of warriors comes and oversees the complete assembly of these food packages. What would take our staff weeks to complete, takes the Wounded Warrior Project team hours,” said Julia Morales, program coordinator, Action Pathways. “They are superheroes of this outreach program. Having them come and take ownership allows for 700 seniors to have food on their table. We can’t do without them!”
“This is a mission-driven program,” James said. “Just now with different uniforms but still the same band of brothers and sisters committed to the unified mission of helping others.”
WWP has been connecting, serving, and empowering wounded warriors for 15 years. To learn more, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition.
Second Harvest Food Bank serves Southeast North Carolina, including the city of Fayetteville (Cumberland County) and areas impacted by Hurricane Florence. See more at hungercantwait.org.
Source: Wounded Warrior Project
