3rd Annual Sort-A-Rama Volunteers Sort 170,000 Meals For Needy NC Families
The backdrop was an immense warehouse in RTP, filled with hundreds of bins and surrounded by a fleet of volunteers. The end result was over 170,000 meals sorted for distribution to needy families by the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC. On September 11, 2014, employees from BASF, Food Lion, Cisco, and many other familiar companies, we were also on hand to commemorate the Day of Service and Remembrance of 9/11 with a large group of enthusiastic volunteers. Over 1,000 volunteers attended in total, sporting t-shirts, smiles, and willing hands.
Sort-A-Rama began two years ago, and in their first and second years sorted 80,000 and 100,000 meals respectively. This year’s final tally was quite the accomplishment, and those meals will be sent out to over 30 surrounding counties and needy families.
“For North Carolinians who are already worried about when their next meal will be, it can be even more challenging to ensure that the foods they are eating are wholesome and nutritious,” said Jo Abernathy, BCBSNC chief information officer and Food Bank volunteer. “Through Sort-A-Rama and other programs, BCBSNC is committed to increasing access to healthy foods in order to make a lasting impact on the health of our communities across the state.”
What’s important to remember is that the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC dedicates themselves to fighting hunger each and every day, and Sort-A-Rama—as an amazing as an event as it is—is just part of what they do. You can visit their website to learn more about Hunger Awareness Month (September) and all the other initiatives they work on yearlong to bring meals to families all across the region.
To get a look behind the scenes of the event, click through the gallery below! You can also visit the Flickr gallery created by the Food Bank.
