PORTLAND, Maine — It was a busy afternoon and evening Wednesday at both of the University of New England campuses.
Roughly 300 students, staff, and volunteers came together to package and distribute 100,000 meal kits, which include non-perishable food items, for Maine families in need.
The Meals for Maine initiative is part of the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance events across the country, which encourage people to give back to their community, according to a university release.
“Maine has very high food insecurity and we as a health professions institution wanted to, sort of, do something to address that public health need," UNE's director of service learning, Tisha Mason, said.
UNE is one of the few colleges or universities to receive funding for this meal distribution effort, according to the release.
Last year, the Meals for Maine event brought volunteers to the school's campus in Biddeford, where more than 52,000 meal kits were prepared and later distributed by community partners to areas in need across four Maine counties.
Mason said the students loved the initiative, and that's why this year's event took place at the school's campuses in Biddeford and in Portland. Now, with the help of more than a dozen partners, the meals will be sent to all 16 Maine counties.
“I think service is a huge part of education and I think when students can take a moment out of their academic schedules and their lives and be present to serve the community, we’re hoping it creates a lifelong commitment to service when they leave UNE and those are the kind of students that we want to leave our university, and continue to make an impact in their community long after they graduate," Mason added.