Around 500 volunteers worked a Saturday shift on the assembly line at the Peterborough Sport & Wellness Centre putting together 150,000 food packages for people living in Haiti.
“It’s a soy rice casserole. It’s vegan formula, eaten by all cultures around the world. It has a powerhouse of 21 vitamins and minerals targeted to alleviate starvation-related diseases,” said Carl Nabein, executive director of Kids Against Hunger Canada.
READ MORE: Peterborough medical team prepares for mission in Haiti
It is all part of the One Million Meals Peterborough program. Now in its third year, the program has helped those living in poverty in Peterborough, northern Canada and now Haiti.
The meals are to be shipped to Grand-Goâve, Haiti in the next few weeks, an area that has been decimated by natural disasters in recent years.
READ MORE: Peterborough couple in Haiti braces for Hurricane Irma
In 2010, a series of major earthquakes caused significant damage there. Hurricane Matthew tore through Grand-Goâve in 2016, followed by Irma last September.
“They were destroyed. They were just starting to build back and lost everything. A lot of people died from starvation,” added Nabein.
WATCH BELOW: Kids Against Hunger Canada on CHEX Morning Show
To package 200,000 meals at a cost of 28 cents each, One Million Meals needs to raise $56,000.
Donations can be made on their website.