Meals for Hope brings Southwest Florida together to fight hunger

On Saturday morning, Meals for Hope held its annual Holidays Without Hunger event, aiming to ensure no one in Southwest Florida goes hungry during the holidays.

WINK News reporter Paul Dolan was at the food-packing event to witness the community’s efforts to help their neighbors.

Meals for Hope volunteers were hard at work—stacking boxes high and packing them full to feed local families in need.

Nearly 2,000 people filled the Lee Civic Center on Saturday morning, ready to work together for the cause.

“When I was younger, I stood in the line for the Meals for Hope, and when I heard that this was an opportunity for me to volunteer, I was like, yes, please, let me help,” said Sidney McConnell, an eighth grader at North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts.

Sidney, who has received Meals for Hope assistance in the past, said she knows how important these efforts are for families.

“Being in that position and seeing a lot of people helping, giving back—it means a lot to be able to help people who were in the same position that I was in,” she said.

The event’s goal was ambitious: pack one million meals in two hours. Volunteers worked efficiently to meet that target.

WINK News joined in to help reach the goal, where Dolan met young volunteer Mali Steward.

“Gonna use the cinnamon and then go to the dry apples, then the sugar,” Mali explained while running her table.

Each meal bag was weighed, sealed, and packed into boxes. Every time a box was filled, cheers erupted from the crowd.

Thousands of boxes were packed by dozens of groups, filling hundreds of pallets, accompanied by celebratory cheers.

“These 2,000 people came together to be united and work together, making a huge difference in the community,” said Stephen Popper, president of Meals for Hope.

Sidney knows firsthand how much these meals can mean.

“A lot of people who, like, need the Meals for Hope and need Holidays Without Hunger because they can’t [afford food], so coming and helping would mean a lot to a bunch of people, including myself,” she said.

The meals are now ready to be delivered to families in need throughout the community.