"It makes you feel good:" Volunteers to pack 1M meals in 30 days for Harvey victims

MILWAUKEE -- Harvey is long gone, but some people are still trying to find their way in the wake of the devastating storm. That's how a unique partnership formed in SE Wisconsin.

Volunteers gathered on Tuesday, September 5th to form an assembly line for packing meals for victims of the hurricane and storm that was Harvey. Most of the packers said they're not accustomed to an assembly line.

"I'm the president of United Heartland," said Steve Cooper, President of United Heartland in New Berlin.

But like Cooper, they gladly volunteered.

"It's the type of thing that really resonates with everybody in the company and it makes you feel good," Cooper said.

The request came from the Milwaukee Center for Independence (MCFI) in Glendale -- and it was based on a challenge.

"We had a call to action from one of our partners, Optimum Foods and the PepsiCo Foundation to produce one million in 30 days; to help relieve some of the hunger that's being experienced in the greater Texas area," said Heidi Chada, VP of Employment Service for MCFI.

PepsiCo is paying for the meals and Optimum is getting them to Texas. The mission is to fill a semi that will leave for Texas every day for 30 days. That's 28,000 to 35,000 meals per semi load.

MCFI is used to the task. Their clients, made up of people with special needs, already package thousands of meals for school children each day. But this operation requires volunteers after hours.

If you would like to volunteer, CLICK HERE or call 414-937-2020.