Thousands of meals are now ready to help feed hungry families across Central Kentucky thanks to a community meal-packing event in Lexington.
The Million Meals Tour made its first-ever stop in Lexington at Kroger Field, where volunteers packed nearly 50,000 meals that will stay in Central Kentucky.
Lifeline Christian Mission organized the event, bringing together volunteers who worked at different stations to assemble nutritious meal packages.
The assembly line process includes several key ingredients that create complete meals.
"You start out with some rice and then you have beans and then you have a protein powder," volunteer Clark Shepherd said.
"We're packing vitamins and minerals and protein and carbohydrates," volunteer Nicole Merz said.
The meal-packing process is designed to be accessible for volunteers of all ages and abilities.
"If you're a little person, it's easy to toss something in there, and if you're a bigger person we've got some sealers for you too," Merz said.
While Lifeline Christian Mission conducts meal-packing events throughout the year, they typically distribute the food both locally and internationally.
"We try to keep 50% of what we do in state, and the other 50% we send wherever the need is," said Merz.
However, all of the meals packed at this particular event will remain in Central Kentucky to help local families facing food insecurity.
Shepherd expressed curiosity about the journey these meals will take.
"I've said many times I'd like to attach myself to one bag and just see where that goes just to see the story," Shepherd stated.
Beyond providing meals, the event created a space for community building and connection.
"Bringing our community together is really joyful to me because these people are all here and they may not know each other, but we put them in groups with one another and they're meeting each other and they're laughing and they're smiling and they're helping one another," Merz said.
The event attracted a diverse group of volunteers spanning different ages and backgrounds.
"It's all generations. It's intergenerational for all of us, intercultural for all of us, and I love how it brings us together," Merz added.
