2010 Million Meal Event challenge: Raise $10,000 by Aug. 6 to fight hunger

Greenville, N.C.  —   Donations for the ECU Million Meal Event are down sharply, and organizers are asking for help.

East Carolina University’s Volunteer and Service-Learning Center wants to raise $10,000 by Aug. 6.

In the last two years, ECU Million Meal Event volunteers have packaged nearly 300,000 meals for hungry people through a partnership with Stop Hunger Now, an N.C.-based nonprofit that supports sustainable food programs in 79 countries.

Fundraising this year has suffered because of the economy, however, meaning the ECU event only has money to buy supplies to package about 50,000 — meaning that in 2010 the event will donate 52,000 fewer meals to support relief efforts in places such as Haiti and Sierra Leone.

“It’s really paramount that we raise as much money as we can,” said Shawn Holland Moore, community partner coordinator for the VSLC.

More than 1.02 billion people worldwide do not have enough to eat — more than the populations of the United States, Canada and the European Union combined, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. Every six seconds, a child dies from malnutrition or related causes.

Money donated to the ECU Million Meal Event will go towards meals that contain rice, dehydrated vegetables, protein powder, chicken flavoring, and 21 essential vitamins and minerals.

Donors can give online at here.

“It’s so easy to do,” Moore said. “I just gave online. The advertised link goes right to the ECU donation page on Stop Hunger Now’s website.”

People interested in volunteering may contact Mike Loeffelman in the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center at 252-328-2735 or loeffelmanm@ecu.edu.

Learn more about the need here.