FLOURTOWN —On Saturday, March 1, the Springfield Township Rotary Club, the Warminster Rotary Club, the First Presbyterian Church in Springfield and the Outreach Program joined forces to pack 10,000 reconstitutable apple cinnamon oatmeal breakfast meals for local families in need. These meals were distributed equally to three local organizations: Warminster Food Bank, in Warminster; Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry, in Philadelphia, and Family Promise, in Ambler.

The event took place at First Presbyterian Church in Springfield and was an assembly-line style food packing operation. Over 100 volunteers were weighing, sealing, and packaging bags of nutritious meals to be distributed to the three organizations.

The idea for the event came about when Amanda Helwig, president of the Springfield Township Rotary Club, attended a Rotary District Conference and saw a similar food packing initiative. She contacted The Outreach Program, the organization that provided the necessary equipment and ingredients for the event. Helwig also wanted to work with other Rotarians on this project, so she contacted Mike Cerino, president of the Warminster Rotary Club and executive director of the Warminster Food Bank, and he agreed to participate.

The collaboration between the Rotary Clubs and nonprofit organizations showcases the power of service and community unity. The food, once packaged, will provide thousands of families in need with nutritious, easy-to-prepare meals that will help them through difficult times. The success of this event was also made possible by the generous space provided by the First Presbyterian Church in Springfield, which is led by Springfield Township Rotarian Robert Scott. His church opened its doors to host the event and support the cause.

“It’s amazing to see how much can be accomplished when we come together with our community partners,” said Helwig. “Our goal is simple — to make a positive impact in the lives of others by helping to feed families who are struggling. This is what Rotary is all about — ‘Service Above Self.’”

“Rotary clubs are always seeking ways to make a real difference in the lives of those around us,” said Cerino. “We are proud to partner with the Springfield Township Rotary Club and other local groups to make this food packing event a reality and ensure that no one in our communities goes hungry.”

###Editor’s Notes:Photos courtesy Daniel P. Watson-Bey, of East Hill Media. Captions courtesy of Springfield Township Rotary.Interviews are available with Springfield Township and Warminster Rotary leadership and with representatives from the beneficiary organizations. To schedule an interview, please contact Debbie Goetz at 215-630-5408 or [email protected] – 250301 SPRINFIELD ROTARY EVENT_0013.JPG: Members of the Springfield Township Rotary take a break from the food packing event at First Presbyterian Church in Springfield to pose for a photo. More than 100 volunteers from Springfield Township Rotary Club, the Warminster Rotary Club and the First Presbyterian Church packed 10,000 meals for three local organizations – Warminster Food Bank, in Warminster, Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry, in Philadelphia, and Family Promise, in Ambler.

IMAGE – 250301 SPRINFIELD ROTARY EVENT_0011(1).jpg: Volunteers from the First Presbyterian Church in Springfield gather during a meal packing event to benefit three local organizations – Warminster Food Bank, in Warminster, Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry, in Philadelphia, and Family Promise, in Ambler. The Outreach Program provided the necessary equipment and ingredients for this event where more than 100 volunteers participated in packing 10,000 meals.

IMAGE – 250301 SPRINFIELD ROTARY EVENT_0010.jpg: L to R: Janice Vallone, volunteer, Mike Cerino President, Warminster Rotary Club and Executive Director, Warminster Food Bank; and Katie Farrell, District Governor, Rotary International take a break from the meal packing at First Presbyterian Church in Springfield. The event included more than 100 volunteers from Springfield Township Rotary Club, Warminster Rotary Club and the First Presbyterian Church to pack 10,000 meals for three local organizations: Warminster Food Bank, in Warminster, Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry, in Philadelphia, and Family Promise, in Ambler.