ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A Central Florida group hopes to pack more than 4 million meals to send to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.
Feeding Children Everywhere, based in Longwood, normally helps in local efforts, but expands their crisis food program in times of tragedy. They'll send non-perishable food items like granola bars, applesauce, tuna and other items.
The Puerto Rico assembly will be their biggest undertaking to date, and they'll need at least 30,000 volunteers to successfully pack the millions of meals. Feeding Children Everywhere CEO Dave Green said he felt compelled to ramp up efforts because of the severity of the situation on the island.
"We've got the opportunity to try to respond and help them, there are children, families, the elderly," Green said. "There are people who are wondering where will hope come from, where will their next meal come from. So me, personally, I believe it's up to us, it's up to us to help."
Volunteer opportunities will be held daily at the Orange County Convention Center, and the group needs fully staffed shifts to succeed. You can sign up at www.feedingchildreneverywhere.org.
The first shipment will go out Sunday.
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