Office of Student Life

Buckeyes spread kindness with food packing event on national day of service

September 11, 2024

by Amanda Bovenzi '25

More than 1.6 million Ohioans don’t know where their next meal will come from. That’s why Student Life’s annual BeKind Food Packing Event welcomes volunteers to make a difference by packing meals to be distributed to non-profit organizations.

Nearly 1,100 students, staff, alumni and community members gathered on campus September 11 to pack more than 350,000 meals. Second year Ohio State student Bianca Sofariu attended the event even before her journey as a Buckeye began. She has attended three years in a row, beginning as a senior at Hilliard Darby High School. “This event confirmed for me that I wanted to go to Ohio State because I absolutely loved the people, environment and how we all come together for such an important cause yet have such a fun time,” Sofariu said.

The date for this year’s BeKind Meal Packing, 9/11, was chosen because it is a national day of service and remembrance. More than 30 million people participate on each anniversary of the terrorist attacks by volunteering, supporting charities and performing other acts of service in the spirit of national unity and kindness.

The 350,064 meals for those with low food security is the most ever packed at the event, which began in 2016. Ohio State has packed nearly 2 million meals since then.

Volunteers were given step-by-step instructions on the packing process, which included the measurements and order of the ingredients. The meal components included rice, beans, seasoning packets and dried bell peppers.

Staff and students from several other Central Ohio colleges and universities joined Ohio State to participate, including Capital, Denison and Ohio Dominican.

Ohio State alum Karen Narwicz helped pack meals alongside current students and fellow alumni. She said, “The event shows the connection we have at Ohio State that we want to promote to our students, creating a better, kinder community.”

Student Life partnered with OSU Extension and the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to assist with the distribution process. The meals were given to local non-profit organizations in Adams, Brown, Franklin, Hamilton, Highland and Montgomery counties later that week.

The packed meals were provided to 115 non-profit organizations to distribute. Transporting 51,000 pounds across this distance was possible because of the iconic 18-wheeler that carries the Ohio State football equipment to road games. Ken Blair III, owner of this specially painted semi, volunteers his time and energy each year to participate in the food distribution.

More than 200,000 people are food insecure in the counties in which meals were distributed this year. This number of people could fill Ohio Stadium twice. Event organizer, Tracy Stuck said, “I think this event is so beautiful to witness as it is faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni and community all coming together. It is truly the epitome of what it means to be a Buckeye through our mission of education for citizenship.”

Plans are already underway for the 2025 edition.