A Texas Family Packages Meals Together to Fight World Hunger

Ending global hunger is a family affair for the Sullivans in Texas! Laurie Sullivan has hosted Rise Against Hunger Experience meal packaging events since 2019, bringing together family and close friends to package nutritious meals for people facing hunger around the world. On March 25, 2023, Laurie’s family and friends participated in their fourth event and packaged over 2,500 meals. It was a day for fun and giving back! We caught up with Laurie about why Rise Against Hunger meal packaging events are so important for her friends and family — check it out below!  

What was like it to bring family and friends together to package 2,500 meals at a Rise Against Hunger Experience meal packaging event?

It was great! We had a wonderful time with Justin, our event coordinator. He was actually part of our event last year as well, so we had a good routine going. We had 15 people attending, all family and close friends. 

Why was it important to you to have your friends and family get involved? 

This is our fourth year doing a Rise Against Hunger event. We were looking for something that we could do together to give back, so we gave this a try and we’ve been enjoying it every year since.

Can you share what the meal packaging event was like? What was your favorite part of the event? 

We had two production lines going, one on each side of the table and we create a little competition between the teams. It’s all fun but keeps us motivated. This year we especially enjoyed the gong; each time we completed a box someone would bang the gong and we all cheered. It was so much fun!

This wasn’t the first time that your family packaged meals with us. After hosting your first meal packaging event in 2019, what about that experience resonated with you and made you want to continue hosting more meal packaging events?

We love doing the event together with the family. It gives us something meaningful to do while we’re together and we enjoy working as a team. I think it actually makes us a little closer knowing that we can get together and do something so powerful.

What does Rise Against Hunger’s mission to end global hunger mean to you?

It’s a wonderful mission and right in line with our family’s perspective and belief that it’s so important to do whatever we can to help others. 

What would you say to other people who are interested in engaging and being part of Rise Against Hunger’s movement to end global hunger?

We would say, “Do it!” It’s easy to set it up and the volunteers can manage their own registration and donations online. It is a great way to spend an afternoon and do something that really matters.

We love to see friends and family come together in support of the mission to end global hunger! Are you interested in packaging meals with your family, friends or group — like Laurie Sullivan did? Host your own Rise Against Hunger Experience meal packaging event!