Remembering Our Amazing 2025 Event

It all began before the sun came up on Saturday, November 1, 2025. Well, honestly, it started at 7:00 pm the evening before when Fellowship Hall at St. Matthew Lutheran Church was cleared out and readied for the onslaught to come in the morning.

The trucks from Rise Against Hunger arrived that same evening carrying all the equipment and ingredients needed for the event, ready for the dozens of volunteers who pitched in starting before the sun came up on Saturday.  They were there to off load the trucks, haul what was needed on to the packing floor, carefully set-up the room and stock each area with everything that was needed for the Funnel Stations, the Weighing and Sealing Tables, and the Packing and Boxing Areas.

Then, shortly after 8 am, the Packing Volunteers began to arrive, the line stretching back from the Registration Area to the doors of the building. The turnout was amazing — before the end of the day over 500 volunteers by last count.

By 10 am a Proclamation from the Mayor of Hanover was read proclaiming that "Rise Against Hunger in Hanover Day" had arrived.  After some instructions, the music started blaring and the packing began in earnest. Funnels were filled, bags were collected, and run to the weighing and sealing stations before they were counted, boxed and carried by forklift to trucks awaiting outside. When it was all over, 66,096 meals had been packed and were on their way to feed those so desperately in need.