Dreaming Big: No More Hunger in St. Louis

Hunger affects thousands of Missourians, with an average of one in five people not knowing where their next meal will come from, according to the Missouri Hunger Atlas.  

Meals for a Million is a community-wide food packing event that invites volunteers to help prepare non-perishable meal pouches for distribution throughout Missouri.

While this idea was initially born out of a men’s prayer group meeting, it has grown into a real and tangible way of spreading the love of Jesus.

Now that it is established, Meals for a Million’s goal is to make an impact in St. Louis and its surrounding areas by feeding the hungry.  

The second annual food packing event will take place Saturday, Aug. 25 and Sunday, Aug. 26, at the St. Charles Family Arena.  

This year, Meals for a Million hopes to bring in 5,000 volunteers and raise $250,000 in order to reach the goal of packing one million meals.

“We want to do something for our community. There’s such a need right here in the St. Louis area, and we knew that we could make a difference,” said Sam Rowley, founder of Beraka Ministries. “2018 is going to be something special. We are excited about you guys joining us to make an impact in our community.”

Individual meals are packed in an assembly-line process by eight to 12 volunteers; some positions include scooping ingredients, sealing bags and boxing finished packages.  

Volunteers can sign up for a two-hour shift or choose to serve all weekend by visiting the Meals for a Million website and clicking “Serve.”  The event is family friendly and perfect for children, teens and adult volunteers of all ages.  

To help the cause without attending the event, anyone can donate individually by visiting the Meals for a Million website and clicking “Give.”  

In addition, Meals for a Million now offers a Text to Give option, where donors can give a one-time or recurring gift by texting M4MSTL to 41444.

For more information about how to help this cause, visit the Meals for a Million website or find Meals for a Million on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.