To honor the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, AgReserves headquarters employees joined thousands of volunteers across the country to participate in 9/11 Day – the federally recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance, the largest annual day of service in the United States.
Fifty-nine members of the headquarters team, clad in blue T-shirts with “Invest, Grow, Give Back” in white letters on the back, volunteered for the 9/11 Day Meal Pack event held in the Jon M. Huntsman Center at the University of Utah, joining other business and community volunteers. The morning shift, which AgReserves was part of, produced 128,700 bags of food. In all, the day’s volunteers came together to pack 153,540 meals. The meals, donated to and distributed by Utah Food Bank, will directly support the Salt Lake-area community.
“It was a fantastic event, both for building team unity and also for giving back to our community,” AgReserves CEO Doug Rose said. “Today was a powerful reminder of the values that unite us, and the fact that – together – we can make a difference.”
Volunteers worked in groups of 12, packing, sealing, and boxing bags of oatmeal with brown sugar. The 2-hour shift started with a moment of silence and a stirring performance of “America the Beautiful.” Music played throughout, helping make a rewarding day fast paced and fun as well, with plenty of people moving their hips as they scooped oats, sealed bags, and taped boxes shut.
“It was such a meaningful event that brought to life our value of Invest, Grow, and Give Back,” Human Resources Vice President Lisa White said. “It also included a little fun, like seeing our CEO’s extremely competitive spirit and some special dance moves from the finance department. I loved being part of it!”
This year, more than 30,000 volunteers across the country mobilized to help pack more than 9 million nutritious, shelf-stable meals for distribution through Feeding America-affiliated food banks and local hunger relief partners.
The spirit of giving back was alive and well among volunteers from AgReserves, where a part of the company’s mission statement – “we contribute in the communities where we live and work” – was clearly reflected in their actions.
“It’s awesome to serve and help other people be able to get meals. I’m appreciative of the opportunity to give back,” said Jeffrey Larson, an Enterprise Applications Engineer III.
Fixed Asset Manager Dauna Wilkerson echoed that sentiment, adding, “It felt good lending a hand and seeing members of our team, as well as others, come together to help those in need. The way everyone was able to have fun while wearing hairnets, partaking in a little friendly competition, and serving our community makes it even better.”
The Sept. 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance was established in 2009 to honor the memory of those lost, injured, and affected by the attacks. It transforms a day of tragedy into a day of doing good, encouraging acts of service, charity, and kindness each year.
The 9/11 Day Meal Pack program is one of the largest coordinated hunger relief efforts in the country. Launched in 2016 in New York City, the program was created to provide a hands-on way for volunteers to mark the 9/11 anniversary through service.
“Today was a great day, an opportunity to come together as a team, to take the sorrows and tragedies of the past and turn them into accomplishments and hope for the future,” Corporate Compliance Associate John Brooks said. “I’m grateful to work for AgReserves and grateful that it supports our community.”
Other large-scale meal packs were held in Atlanta, Boston, Bridgeport, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Jose/Bay Area, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, and Washington, D.C.
Learn more at www.911day.org.