BRIDGEWATER, Va. – Over 200 volunteers celebrated MLK Day by packing meals of rice and soy for communities facing high rates of food insecurity. Bridgewater College’s Director of Community Engagement Ben Erickson led the way as 20,088 meals were distributed to one of 38 countries that Rise Against Hunger serves.
Rise Against Hunger is a nonprofit organization that aims to diminish world hunger by “empowering communities, nourishing lives and responding to emergencies.” In 2023, Rise Against Hunger distributed roughly 79 million meals across the world.
Rise Against Hunger targets “remote, last-mile communities within hunger pockets designated ‘serious’ or higher on the Global Hunger Index [GHI].” These locations are often difficult to reach, lack communication and have a weak infrastructure.
Sheila Russ, a partnership manager at Rise Against Hunger, said on MLK Day over 104,000 meals were created just out of their Richmond office events. This is a fraction of the 3 million meal goal the Richmond office plans to pack in 2025.
“It is only through working together that we will truly be able to change the world,” Russ said. “Rise Against Hunger’s mission is about serving the whole person and whole communities, not just providing food to those that have none.”
According to the Global Hunger Index, 79 countries have moderate, serious, or alarming GHI scores, meaning their hunger rates are dangerously high. The five countries with the highest hunger ratings include Somalia, Yemen, Chad, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Bridgewater made their contributions by splitting the volunteers into three different stations: one for packing the rice, soy, vegetables and flavor packs, one for measuring weight and sealing the meals and one more for boxing them together to put on the truck.
“It went really well… it was well organized and it seemed everyone knew what their jobs were,” Erickson said. “Everyone jumped right in and I was impressed with the students.”
It was important to Erickson that an organization like Rise Against Hunger came to Bridgewater on the day we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He noted the importance of hosting this organization on this day because of his shared passion with King for nonprofit organizations.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a prolific civil rights activist and Christian who continually supported charities and organizations that revolved around such ideas. His passion inspires many, like Erickson, to serve others.
Bridgewater provides many other opportunities for students to partake in charity work.
The annual volunteer fair in the fall opens doors for students to assist in volunteer work with over a dozen organizations. In 2024, The Arc of Harrisonburg & Rockingham, Big Brothers Big Sisters and many others came to Bridgewater College’s Volunteer and Service Fair to publicize their organizations and inspire students to engage in community service.
Looking forward, Erickson has future plans for students to volunteer. He is in the process of creating a database to provide students easier access to future available services for the community.
For more information about Rise Against Hunger, contact them at: https://www.riseagainsthunger.org/about-us/contact-us/.
