Hundreds of Rotarians were joined by a group of community volunteers Saturday in an effort to package tens of thousands of food kits for delivery to needy individuals in Westchester County New York City.
The effort, which took place inside the Memorial United Methodist Church in White Plains, drew about 600 people. Most of the volunteers were members of 42 clubs from Rotary District 7230, which includes Westchester, the Bronx, Staten Island and Manhattan.
In addition, groups like the Boy Scouts and students from White Plains schools and Pace University assisted in the project.
The group planned to create more than 100,000 food kits capable of feeding 600,000 people.
"There's a lot of hunger in Westchester, the Bronx and Manhattan," said Sharon Irving, charter president of the Cortlandt Manor Rotary Club and Community Service Chair for Rotary District 7230. "I don't now how many packs we completed [Saturday], but I do know that we will have another upcoming date for people to help us."
Each local club will receive a portion of the food and take the packages to their local hunger outreach centers and food banks. The Westchester Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless, Inc. will also help distribute the packets.
Matts Ingemanson, district governor for 7230, said each kit that was made can provide six meals. The food kits consisted of macaroni, rice and beans and cost about a dollar each.
Each club raised the money needed to purchase the food.
"We're not an army and we're not a business," Ingemanson said. "So everyone here is here because they are passionate about feeding the hungry."
Irving said the a date for the next food packaging project will be determined by the end of this week.
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