Association seeking donations, volunteers for meal packing event
Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors is partnering with Meals of Hope and local volunteers to host a meal packing event to benefit Southwest Florida food banks.
The event will take place on July 24 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Sanibel Community Church. It is the second consecutive year that the association hosted it. Realtors and community members will work together to raise the money needed to pay for the meals, then the volunteers will package them.
Approximately 20,000 meals will be packaged at the event.
Meals of Hope has created five pre-packaged meals that are nutritious and cost-effective. According to officials, the packages “were designed to address the need for an economical, nutritious solution to aid in the fight against hunger.” The group focuses on keeping the packages within communities in the United States, though it does provide some assistance to other parts of the world.
The association and its members must raise at least $5,000 to cover the cost of the food and have a minimum of 50 volunteers. Last year’s event brought in over $6,600 and over 90 people joined together to package 28,800 meals. The community is invited to volunteer their time at this year’s event, too.
In addition, the public can make a monetary donation in the form of a check, payable to “Meals of Hope.” It can be dropped off or mailed to 2353 Periwinkle Way, Suite 201, Sanibel, FL 33957.
To sign up as a volunteer, email Megan@SanibelRealtors.com.
For more information about Meals of Hope, visit mealsofhope.org.
For more information about the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors, visit online at www.sanibelrealtors.com or “Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors” on Facebook.
The Sanibel Community Church is at 1740 Periwinkle Way.