University of New England students pack 150,000 meals at Meals for Maine event

The gymnasium at University of New England’s Student Center in Biddeford was abuzz with activity during the annual Meals for Maine event on Wednesday afternoon.

About 100 students, donning hairnets, were grouped in production lines assembling bags of food for those with food insecurity.

The Meals for Maine event is held in honor of the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.

The university partnered with The Pack Shack, an Arkansas-based organization, to pack bags of Southwest Chile Black Beans and Rice.

The Pack Shack works with host groups like schools, service clubs and corporations, to hold what it calls “Feed the Funnel” parties.

“We travel all over the United States, pack thousands of meals together and have a blast,” said Pack Shack Operations Manager Samuel Cox.

Volunteers on Wednesday were given a brief training on how to “feed the funnel” by measuring out rice, beans, dried peppers and seasoning; and pouring them into a funnel atop a pouch, which is then weighed and sealed.

The meals are plant-based, allergen free, gluten free, dairy free and soy free, said Cox. They are shelf-stable and are simple to prepare – just add the contents of the package to boiling water.

“They check all the boxes so that they can really get out into the far and wide community,” said UNE Director of Service-Learning Trisha Mason.

She said 50,000 meals were being packed on the UNE Biddeford campus, and an additional 100,000 meals were being packed on the Portland campus.

The Pack Shack helps with assembling the meals, and then the host organization, in this case UNE, works with local organizations to distribute the food.

Mason said UNE partnered with more than 20 organizations in Maine including food pantries, health care centers, homeless shelters, and assisted living facilities organizations to distribute the food. She said the Department of Corrections will receive meals that it will give to individuals upon release from jail.

The mood was lively on Wednesday as students measured and packed ingredients, and weighed and sealed bags. Music played in the background, and students socialized with one another as they worked.

“I’m having a lot of fun,” said Zion Profit, a Junior at UNE from Bridgeport, Connecticut.

The social work major and football player said he grew up doing volunteer work with his family, and the importance of community service work was instilled in him at a young age.

“I love helping others,” he said.

Shelby Budzko, a junior from Scarborough studying environmental science said she signed up for the event because she was interested in doing more community service work.

“It’s really important to teach students about food insecurity. We’re not only feeding people, but we’re feeding people next door to us,” she said.

Budzko said that often, students are so wrapped up in their studies that they aren’t aware of what’s going on outside campus. She said the event was a real eye-opening experience to learn about the local need for food assistance.

Saco Bay News Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com. She works part-time at the University of New England as a standardized patient.