- March 6, 2025
MHS Interact Club members Kamila Garcia and Abby Denimo work to package the ingredients. Photo by Paige Wilson
About 60 volunteers from the MHS Interact Club and the community worked for several hours in the MHS cafeteria. Photo by Paige Wilson
MHS lacrosse player Jackson Courson hits the gong held by Rise Against Hunger representative Stephanie Sheffield to celebrate 5,000 meals being packaged so far. Photo by Paige Wilson
Austin and Stephan Weeks box up the packaged meals. Photo by Paige Wilson
MHS Interact Club member Amanda Rushton smiles while packaging food. Photo by Paige Wilson
MHS Interact Club President Erin Robinson weighs the rice in a meal bag. Photo by Paige Wilson
MHS Interact Club member Cristina Cabada pours a scoop of soy into a funnel to a meal bag. Photo by Paige Wilson
Volunteers add rice and seal the meal bags. Photo by Paige Wilson
Matanzas High School Interact Club President Erin Robinson scurried around the MHS cafeteria packaging meals and encouraging her peers during the school's Rise Against Hunger event on Saturday, April 7.
Rise Against Hunger is an international organization working to end world hunger by 2030. Robinson said the event was the first of its kind in Flagler County Schools. The MHS Interact Club led the event to package 14,000 meals to send to school lunch programs in developing nations or to be used for emergency aid. Each meal containing soy, rice, veggies and a vitamin packet cost $0.29 and feeds about six people.
"I went to the rotary youth leadership awards and was introduced to this, and it was mind-blowing how many meals you could package in a short amount of time with a lot of hands," Robinson said.
About 60 volunteers from MHS Interact Club, MHS LEO Club, MHS National Honor Society, Rotary Club of Flagler Beach, Rotary of Flagler County, Rotary Alumni, Flagler Palm Coast High School Interact Club, EarlyAct of Old Kings Elementary School and local businesses donated and participated.
The MHS Interact Club was tasked with raising $5,000 to cover costs of supplies from RAH. Robinson said the club is currently $500 away from its goal. She's hoping the club's upcoming trivia night on April 24 and a car wash in the future will raise the remaining money.
MHS Interact Club Sponsor Tom De Ceglie praised Robinson for her commitment and hard work leading up to the meal-packaging event. He said her dedication was inspiring.
"It was really near to our club's heart that we can feed more people," Robinson said.
Visit riseagainsthunger.org.
