NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — The United Way of Greater New Bedford is celebrating a remarkable milestone. Its annual Hunger Heroes initiative is celebrating a big anniversary of serving families this Thanksgiving. The initiative has been helping community members for 10 years now. Organizers and volunteers handed out 1,000 meals on Monday to make sure all families are stuffed with joy ahead of the holiday. “That’s 9,000 meals over the course of 10 years and 151,000 pounds of food. That means so many families now have a thanksgiving meal and that’s all we can ask for, to support our community,” said Victoria Grasela, Vice President of Marketing and Community Engagement. “Nearly 200 volunteers played a part in packaging up the Thanksgiving meals this year from over 40 local food drives. And it’s a rewarding experience not just for the families who receive the meals, but all of the community members who come together to make this distribution event possible each and every year,” she said. “Families with children as young as 2 years old are there, you see a multigenerational group sometimes from the little kids all the way up to grandma, which is really great. There aren’t a lot of opportunities for families to volunteer together,” said CEO and President of United Way, Michelle Hantman of Greater New Bedford. The Immigrant’s Assistance Center received 100 meals for families in need, one of the many stops made Monday during distribution efforts. Many organizations serving those who are struggling with food insecurity benefit from their long-time partnership with United Way. “I think it’s amazing especially this year more than ever because food prices have gone up so high and our families have very limited income and this partnership throughout the years with united way really helps families who are having a hard time,” said Helena Dasilva Hughes, President of Immigrants Assistance Center. To learn more about The United Way of Greater New Bedford, visit their website here.  Categories: News