On a sun-splashed Sunday morning on March 10, Temple Shir Tikva partnered with Meals of Hope for its annual “Mitzvah Day” to pack 33,000 meals for individuals facing food insecurity. Well over 350 volunteers worked in groups to pack fortified beans and rice meals that were distributed within the local community through the Merrimack Valley Food Bank.

Mitzvah Day chair Amanda Glynn was thrilled with the turnout, remarking that, “Bringing the community together to further social action really reflects what Shir Tikva is all about.” Temple Shir Tikva’s cantor, Hollis Schachner, added that the day was a “wonderful morning of bringing hundreds of our community members together to put our Jewish values into action in a vibrant, meaningful, high-energy way. The intergenerational nature of the food-packing project meant that there was a role for everyone, from our youngest children to our older adults.”

Meals of Hope developed seven meals specifically designed for the American palate and added vitamins, minerals, and proteins to supplement an unbalanced diet. Food packages were designed to address the need for an economical, nutritious solution to aid in the fight against hunger. Each packet contained enough food to provide six to eight meals.

“We were excited to have the opportunity to partner with Meals of Hope to help end hunger in our community” said Leah Staffin, TST director of community engagement. “Mitzvah Day is our temple-wide community day of faith-based social action when we undertake a volunteer project to help those in need.” Beth Goldfarb, development and communications coordinator, agreed: “The energy in the room was electric with the spirit of community engagement and compassion for those less fortunate. It was a wonderful event.”

“We are thankful and appreciative of the support provided by Temple Shir Tikva to help us combat the hunger epidemic,” said Jack Day, vice president of Meals of Hope. “The Greater Boston Food Bank reports that 33% of adults in Massachusetts experienced hunger last year. These types of events make for a fun and rewarding day for the volunteers, and they help us deliver healthy meals to underserved individuals.”

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