Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The Warsaw community turned “Hunger to Hope” during the 2026 Warsaw MobilePack, packing 1,124,712 meals for children facing hunger around the world while collecting four large pallets of canned food to support Warsaw School’s Together We Feed Them All initiative and local food pantries.
Hosted at Warsaw Community Schools’ TRAC, the event welcomed 4,209 volunteers who packed 5,207 boxes of meals through Feed My Starving Children (FMSC). The total represents enough food to feed an estimated 3,081 children for a year. The event exceeded both its fundraising and meal-packing goals, bringing this year’s theme, “Hunger to Hope,” to life, according to a news release from WCS.
The meals have now shipped through FMSC’s distribution partners. Of the total, 816,480 meals were shipped through LeSEA Feed the Hungry, which serves primary schools in Africa, Asia and Central America through its EveryChild EveryDay program. Additional shipments included 93,312 meals to Cuba through Outreach Aid to the Americas, 93,312 to El Salvador through Cross Catholic Outreach and 121,608 to Honduras through Food for the Poor.
The current Warsaw MobilePack steering team’s goal has been to host the event every other year, allowing time to raise funds, coordinate volunteers and prepare for this large-scale community service opportunity.
“Warsaw continues to show us that when we come together in mission, our collective impact is far greater than what any one person or organization could accomplish alone,” said Megan Stone, Warsaw MobilePack chair.
Students were a significant part of that impact, with 2,376 participating across five student shifts, stated the release. Students from WCS, Sacred Heart Catholic School and other participating groups measured ingredients, packed meals and carried boxes alongside teachers, staff and parent chaperones.
Their involvement provided an opportunity to practice teamwork, demonstrate empathy and see how their efforts can enrich the lives of others, stated the release.
“When young people see firsthand what can happen when people work together to meet a need, it leaves an impression that goes far beyond the event itself,” Stone said. “These students weren’t simply packing meals. They were learning the value of generosity, compassion, teamwork and serving others. We are grateful to the schools, teachers, staff and parent chaperones who helped make these experiences possible.”
The Corporate Challenge also brought community participation, welcoming a record 508 business and community leaders representing 13 teams. Participants packed 300,888 meals in just over two hours. Team Orchard Medical and Team Medtronic received Hunger Hero awards in recognition of their participation and efforts.
Sponsors, donors, churches, volunteers, steering team members and qualified volunteers helped make the event possible through financial contributions and hours of preparation and service, stated the release. Their support covered meal ingredients, supported packing shifts and created a welcoming experience for thousands of participants.
“The numbers tell an extraordinary story, but the heart of Warsaw MobilePack is the people,” Stone said. “It takes generous donors, dedicated volunteers, committed businesses, supportive churches, engaged schools and countless people working behind the scenes to make this happen. Every contribution matters, whether someone provides financial support, serves on the planning team or spends a shift packing meals. When we each bring what we have to the table, God can use our combined efforts to accomplish something extraordinary.”
