Raleigh volunteers pack 2,000 summer meal bags for kids

Volunteers at Vontier’s Raleigh headquarters turned a Wake Park Boulevard workplace into a food-packing line, assembling 2,000 summer meal bags for 2,000 children. The effort moved about 10,000 pounds of non-perishable food, enough to help families get through the months when school breakfast and lunch are no longer on the table.

The bags matter because the need is much larger than a single packing event. More than 850,000 North Carolina students rely on school meals and snacks during the academic year, and those meals disappear when summer starts. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said the first round of 2026 SUN Bucks benefits will reach more than 1 million children statewide and distribute $121 million to eligible families, but hunger remains a persistent problem. Feeding America estimated North Carolina’s food insecurity rate at 15% in 2023, and NC Child says 1 in 6 children in the state struggle with hunger.

The Raleigh packing event brought together Vontier, Convoy of Hope and the NACS Foundation, along with a large volunteer base that helped fill the bags with practical items such as macaroni and cheese, applesauce and pasta. Kevin O’Connell of the NACS Foundation said efforts like this matter because government subsidies and other support programs do not cover every need, especially as more families are forced to stretch each grocery dollar.

Mark Morelli, Vontier’s chief executive, said rising fuel and food prices are adding pressure to household budgets. Vontier has tried to make community service part of its culture through Vontier Cares, which gives employees one paid volunteer day each year. The company said about 1,000 employees logged more than 4,350 volunteer hours in 2025, and it also pointed to a 2025 collaboration with the NACS Foundation on the Neighborhood Nourish food-insecurity program.

For families trying to bridge the summer gap, the state says help is available now. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services tells residents to text FOOD or COMIDA to 304-304 to find free meal sites for children. The Raleigh packing effort showed how quickly a corporate site can become a community distribution hub, but it also underscored how many families still need support once school lets out.