United Way packages 66,000 meals for local food pantries during annual ‘Day of Action’

More than 400 volunteers gathered at Washington County Fair Park Sept. 24 to take action against hunger in Washington County for the county United Way’s annual “Day of Action.” Families, individuals, and company teams packaged 66,096 meals for distribution to five local food pantries, including Full Shelf, Hartford, and Jackson Food Pantry. Not only did volunteers exceed last year’s record of 61,000 meals, but they also worked faster, finishing in under two hours.

“It was a rewarding evening,” said Ted Neitzke, Superintendent of West Bend School District and 2014 United Way Campaign Chair. “It was incredible to see what happens when people from all around Washington County unite for a common goal: putting others first.” Kristin Brandner, executive director of United Way of Washington County, said many people are not aware that hunger is an issue.

“A lot of us don’t realize that people in our community struggle with hunger every day,” she said. “We wanted to not only build awareness of this issue, but also use our Day of Action to make an impact for those in need.”

The Day of Action is a community kickoff for the United Way’s annual fundraising campaign, which runs through Dec. 31. Other volunteer projects that were completed throughout the day included trail building at Girl Scout’s Camp Silverbrook, assisting with a craft fair at The Threshold, and distributing recruitment material for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

United Way of Washington County encourages the community to Give, Advocate, and Volunteer all year long. Funds raised during the campaign will support 20 programs aligned under the pillars of Education, Income, and Health.

Additionally, the campaign will help support new root cause initiatives and three strategic partners. To learn how your donations to United Way support those in need, and to make a donation online, go to www.UnitedWayOfWashingtonCounty.org.

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