LOUISVILLE, Ky. — More than 75 UPS employees came together Wednesday to package 25,000 Nutri-Plenty meals, which will be distributed by the local non-profit Love the Hungry, to 29 different countries.
Each nutrient-rich pouch contains a healthy mixture of rice, soy, vegetables and flavorings that, when prepared as a meal with a few cups of boiling water, can feed up to seven people.
"We wanted to make sure that children had an opportunity to not just survive but thrive through better nutrition," Dale Oelker, executive director of Love the Hungry, said.
Once packaged, Love the Hungry donates the meals to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in countries across the globe, including the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
The effort comes after a $35,000 grant from The UPS Foundation as part of their mission to provide nourishing meals to children and families vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition.
"My favorite part of the day is the excitement and the togetherness. There's a vibe you feel with the UPS'ers here," Laura Lane, UPS chief corporate affairs officer said. "We all come together as one and deliver what matters. It doesn't matter if it was sunny or rainy. There was sunshine in this hangar."
After Wednesday, UPS will have packaged around 47,000 meal kits.
UPS is partnering with Love the Hungry to package nutritious meals every month with its new hires. Box by box, the company says it'll continue to try and do its part.
"We know hunger is an issue, so we want to do our part and be united problem solvers," Lane said.
It's part of the company's commitment to improving the well-being of 1 billion lives by the year 2040.
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