Menomonie Rotary Clubs approach 1.9 million meals packed through Rotary Feeds

By John Wilkerson

The Menomonie Sunrise Rotary Club and Rotary Club of Menomonie joined forces with the University of Wisconsin-Stout and local business sponsors Oct. 6 to package 46,224 meals for individuals and families facing food insecurity. The fifth annual UW-Stout Meal Pack-a-Thon brought together students, faculty, staff, Rotary members and community volunteers for a day of service.

The event is part of Rotary Feeds, a community service initiative launched by the two Menomonie Rotary clubs in 2011. Since its inception, the program has packaged nearly 1.9 million meals, primarily supporting local food assistance organizations.

Meals from the UW-Stout event will be distributed through Stepping Stones in Menomonie, the university's campus food pantry and Feed My People Food Bank, which serves communities throughout western Wisconsin.

Joel Helminiak, a Rotary Feeds organizer, emphasized the importance of bringing people together for a common purpose. “This particular event is my favorite event of the year… just because it's great to see so many people coming together to make an impact.”

The university's partnership extends beyond providing a location. UW-Stout contributes facilities, volunteer participation and organizational support, while local businesses and community sponsors help finance the meal ingredients and provide additional volunteers.

Sue Traxler, UW-Stout's assistant chancellor for Learning and Information Technology and chief information officer, is also a member of the Rotary Club of Menomonie. She sees the event as an example of how organizations can combine their resources to accomplish more together. “I would just say that this event is a great partnership with Stout and the community.”

Heidi Schaaf, student engagement coordinator for UW-Stout's Involvement Center, helps connect students with volunteer opportunities. She explained that bringing service projects directly onto campus makes participation more accessible while helping students develop stronger connections with the surrounding community. “I think it helps put it in perspective to them. That these meals are staying in our community.”

The meal-packing process involves volunteers working together at assembly lines to measure and package a nutritious combination of rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables, vitamins and minerals. Ten community sponsors supported this year's event through financial contributions, volunteer participation or both. Throughout the day, local businesses joined students along the assembly and packing lines.

Rotary Feeds continues throughout the year, typically organizing five to 10 meal-packing events with businesses, churches and other community organizations. Participating groups help fund ingredients, which cost approximately 25 cents per meal, while Rotary supplies equipment, materials and organizational expertise.

Brian Lavoy, president of the Menomonie Sunrise Rotary Club, connected the program's continuing impact to Rotary's guiding principle. “This really lines up with our commitment to service above self.”

Working side by side throughout the day, students, business representatives and Rotary members demonstrated how a shared commitment to service can provide meals for neighbors in need while building relationships across the community.

Rotary International is a global network of neighbors, friends, and leaders committed to creating lasting change in our communities and around the world.

To learn more about Rotary Feeds and how Rotary membership supports community service initiatives, visit menomoniesunriserotary.org or menomonierotary.org.