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Volunteers help Rise Against Hunger combat food insecurity
Cameron Cramer carries filled packages to the next station, where they will be weighed, sealed, labeled and packed. DENY HOWETH PHOTOS
March 19, 2026
At the third annual Rise Against Hunger food-packing event March 14, 220 volunteers from local churches gathered in the new Sussex Central High School cafeteria to pack meals for children suffering from food insecurity.
During the previous events, volunteers packed 245,596 meals. To date, financial support for the food and shipping costs to get these meals to children has been provided by Grace United Methodist Church Millsboro, Mountaire Farms, Georgetown/Millsboro Rotary Club, Frankford Community Church, Mt. Pleasant and St. George’s United Methodist Churches, and a number of individual community contributors.
Nathan Kingree, left, refills the rice container at a filling station, Michele Cavanaugh and Don Peterson continue filling bags.
Megan Saulsbury and Gail Olive get to work adding items to the bags.
The weigh station gives an accurate amount of food in each bag.
The cafeteria was busy as all stations were completing their tasks.
The process to fill the bags is flavor packet, soy product, dehydrated vegetables and rice.
Volunteers are busy filling bags with dehydrated food.
Fern Kluchnik is serious about her job carrying filled packets to the closing station.
Linda Marsden and Nancy Commisso weigh the bags for a perfect measure.
Iva Kline, right, seals a bag, while Tina Collins makes sure the seal is complete.
Bee and Beth Weaver-Ronk are ready to seal the packages for shipping.
Simone, left, and Heather Kingree place labels and add packages to a bin.
Soy product goes in the bags after the flavor packet.
With the mantra “rice goes last,” volunteers fill the bags.
Stone Powell McDavitt, Rise area manager, gives instructions on the process.
