Meals of Hope: Larkin leads effort to fight hunger

PONTIAC, Ill. — A life-changing 4-H experience deeply moved Libby Larkin to take it to the next level and help others in need.

In the fall of 2017 as a member of the Pontiac Power Rockets 4-H Club, she participated in a 4-H meal packaging event in Bloomington where over 22,000 meals were distributed to local food banks.

Recognizing the needs in her own community and county, Larkin took action and facilitated efforts to package meals to be distributed to youngsters in need.

“I started this project a few years ago, but I got involved in Meals of Hope last year when I wanted to expand my event because our numbers of food insecurity in Pontiac just kept rising because of the COVID situation,” said Larkin, a Pontiac Township High School junior and member of the school’s FFA and Key Club.

Escalating the need was when schools went to periods of remote learning during the pandemic and students eligible for free and reduced lunches no longer had that option as schools were closed.

“I wanted to package as many meals as I possibly could to help as many kids as I could because I knew I was doing well in school because I knew when I got home I had enough food at home to be able to eat. I had enough food to keep me energized throughout the day to make sure I was able to be able to do my work, but, unfortunately, not all kids do,” Larkin said.

“So, I got in contact with Meals of Hope out of Florida to help me figure out what I needed to do to be able to host the event in Pontiac.”

Meals of Hope provides the opportunity for individuals, groups and charitable organizations to sponsor meal packaging events. The fortified food such as macaroni and cheese, pasta and tomato sauce, bean and rice casserole, cinnamon sugar diced apple oatmeal and chicken-flavored vegetable and rice soup are shipped in bulk. The local organizations then package individual meals for delivery.

Doubled

Larkin’s project started with about 25,000 servings a few years ago. The packaging event in March 2021 assembled 50,000 servings.

“Everything that was packaged went out to schools in Livingston County,” Larkin noted.

Funding for the program has been made possible by donations and two grants for which Larkin applied.

“Last year I won a $10,000 grant from Compeer Financial, and I also just won a $7,500 grant from Compeer this year,” she added.

It takes a team to make this a success and Larkin is joined by her PTHS FFA, Key Club and 4-H colleagues, as well as other students and community members of all ages.

The process begins with Larkin contacting Meals of Hope to tell them how many meals are needed and what type of meals she wants.

“They are all dry meals that come in big bulk bags they ship to me from Florida. Then I get a bunch of community members, FFA members, Key Club members, 4-H members to help me package it all and to help me get them into boxes so that way I can send them out to schools,” she said.

“The last one I did was at the Precision Technology Institute in Pontiac. My brother works there, and he got me in touch with his boss, Jason Webster, and they let me use their shop because it was a big open are that I can use.”

Once the meals are individually packaged, the boxes are put on pallets.

“I bring them to the schools by however many boxes they want at a time,” Larkin added.

Larkin’s efforts and those of all of the volunteers who teamed up with her have helped change the lives of those Livingston County youngsters who are food insecure.