Stop Hunger Now and Local Volunteers Join Global Movement to Package Meals July 18, Mandela Day
Norfolk, VA (PRWEB) July 13, 2016 -- On July 18, as groups across the globe gather to recognize Mandela Day, about 200 volunteers will convene in downtown Norfolk at the new Slover Library to package meals for those suffering from hunger and malnutrition.
Mandela Day, celebrated each year on July 18 to commemorate the late Nelson Mandela’s legacy, is an opportunity to inspire individuals to build a global movement for good. Stop Hunger Now Southern Africa is leading a global initiative to package meals worldwide during the week of July 13-20 in honor of the beloved humanitarian.
The Norfolk event is being organized by Dr. Bill Newell, executive director of the SHN Freedom Foundation, who was introduced to Stop Hunger Now last year and is committed to engaging others through a newly formed Foundation he founded in memory of his son. The event will include volunteers from local churches, schools, businesses and local civic and faith-based groups.
Dr. Newell was first introduced to Stop Hunger Now last year when attending an event through the United Methodist Church. “I spent two hours volunteering, and when I went home, I couldn’t sleep that night,” he said. “It was life-changing.”
"Stop Hunger Now has a vision of a world without hunger and we are proud to help celebrate the legacy of Nelson Mandela, truly one of the great men of our generation,” said Stop Hunger Now Founder Ray Buchanan. “In honor of his life of caring and compassion we are going to ‘follow the sun,’ packaging millions of meals around the world. It is a privilege to honor Nelson Mandela on a truly global scale by demonstrating that working together we can end hunger in our lifetime."
Stop Hunger Now meal packaging is a volunteer-based program that coordinates the streamlined assembly of nutritious, dehydrated meals comprised of rice, soy, vegetables and 23 essential vitamins and minerals.
Around the world, nearly 795 million people lack adequate food. Stop Hunger Now operates meal packaging locations in 20 cities throughout the U.S. and six international locations in South Africa, Malaysia, the Philippines, Italy, India and Peru. Last year, more than 353,000 volunteers from corporations, churches, schools and civic organizations packaged Stop Hunger Now meals. Founded in 1998, Stop Hunger Now has delivered aid and disaster relief supplies in the form of food, medical supplies, clothing, school supplies and more to thousands of disaster victims and other hungry and vulnerable people in 74 countries.
Dr. Newell has a goal of organizing at least 10 additional meal packaging events with Stop Hunger Now. Please contact Dr. Bill Newell: drbillnewell(at)aol(dot)com.
About Stop Hunger Now
Stop Hunger Now works to end hunger by providing food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable people, and by creating a global commitment to mobilize the necessary resources. Based in Raleigh, N.C., Stop Hunger Now operates meal packaging programs in 20 U.S. cities and in South Africa, Malaysia, India, Italy, Peru and the Philippines. For information, visit http://www.stophungernow.org.
Karen Cook, Stop Hunger Now, http://www.stophungernow.org, +1 (919)417-0146, [email protected]
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