MEALS FROM THE HEARTLAND

Ready for some friendly competition and great food? Join us on October 16th for Compete & Eat 2024! Form a team and help fight hunger in our community. ? Hy-Vee One Step Challenge – $1,000 per team of 10 ??? Morsel Combat – Sample and vote on dishes from top local chefs ??? Silent Auction & Raffle – Bid on amazing items and enter to win a luxury limo ride to dinner at Simons Sign up today and make a difference. All proceeds support our mission to feed those in need. #CompeteAndEat #FightHunger #MealsFromTheHeartland

Thanks to Hy-Vee, Inc.’s generous donation, over 1,300 children will be fed for an entire year! We are truly blessed to have Hy-Vee as a dedicated sponsor and donor, helping us fight hunger and creating a lasting impact for those in need. #Sponsor #Donation #MealsfromtheHeartland #FightHungerTogether

Thanks to the incredible support of our sponsors and volunteers at last week's Annual Hunger Fight, 3,339 amazing volunteers came together to package 1.7 million meals! That’s enough to feed 6,586 children for an entire year! We are extremely thankful for your support in our mission. Your generosity is making a real impact in the fight against hunger! Title Sponsor: Hy-Vee, Inc. Presenting Sponsors: Corteva Agriscience, DLL, Farmer Mac Gold Sponsors: Sammons Financial Group Companies, Bayer Silver Sponsors: Siegwerk, Wells Fargo #AnnualHungerFight #Volunteer #AHF2024

We had a fantastic time at Compete & Eat! A big thank you to all the teams who participated in the Hy-Vee One Step Challenge and helped pack meals for children and families in need. Congratulations to Wells Fargo for winning the Hy-Vee Cup! ?? Our talented chefs and bakers went head-to-head for the People's Choice Award, and we're excited to congratulate OPA Italian Italian & Greek for Best Chef and Nothing Bundt Cakes for Best Baker! ?? We’re so grateful for everyone’s support—it’s thanks to you that we can continue to fight hunger and serve our communities. #CompeteAndEat #MealsFromTheHeartland #FightHunger

With much appreciation and admiration, Meals from the Heartland announces the upcoming retirement of Executive Director, Greg DeHaai! Greg has been faithfully stewarding our mission for the past 10 years. His leadership has allowed the organization to establish a strong foundation while also nurturing a fun culture, setting the next leader up very well for years to come. “On behalf of the board, staff and all of our critical hunger fighting partners, I want to thank Greg for his tireless leadership throughout his tenure as Executive Director," said Meals from the Heartland’s Chairman of the Board, Dan Koestner.?"Greg’s passion for our mission to empower people to save starving children was evident every day." One of Greg’s greatest accomplishments has been to ensure that the majority of donated funds were directly attributed to providing meals for children and families in need. “In addition, we were blessed to have him in this role as the organization navigated through the uncertain times of the COVID pandemic,"?said Koestner. Under his direction, Meals from the Heartland has engaged?over 500,000 volunteers?to package and deliver?200 million nutritious meals?to food-insecure communities locally and globally, creating a lasting impact. Greg’s dedication to Meals from the Heartland didn’t stop at the office. He deepened his passion for the work we do by personally travelling to school feeding centers around the globe to see firsthand how our meals bring much needed nutrition and hope to food-insecure regions. His experiences abroad inspired all of us, reinforcing the vital role so many of us play in the fight against hunger. As Greg prepares for his well-earned retirement, we offer our appreciation for his vision, leadership, and heart for service. While he will be missed, his legacy will continue to guide Meals from the Heartland for years to come. “We thank him for his tremendous service and wish him and his wife Tammy nothing but the best as they enter this next phase of their lives,” said Koestner. Please join us in celebrating Greg’s contributions and wishing him all the best in this exciting new chapter! Meals from the Heartland is currently conducting a search for Greg’s replacement.

30,000 meals = 116 children fed for an entire year! ?? Thank you, LDJ Manufacturing, INC and your amazing team for #rockinthehairnet and helping us fight hunger, one meal at a time! #mealsfromtheheartland #hungerfight #volunteer

A huge shoutout to Storey Kenworthy & Workspace for stepping up to make a difference in the lives of those in need. We're so grateful to have you on board in the fight against hunger! #MealsfromtheHeartland #EndHunger #StoreyKenworthy #Workspace

60,000 meals – we couldn’t have done it without DLL and their amazing partners! ???♂??? We were honored to be part of DLL’s charity golf outing, where the impact went far beyond the course. This incredible event helped us continue our mission of fighting hunger and providing hope to those in need. Together, we’re making a real difference – one meal at a time. Thank you to DLL and everyone who made this possible! Your support means the world to us and those we serve. #MealsFromTheHeartland #DLL #HungerRelief

20,000 meals—incredible! Thanks to you, 77 children will be fed for an entire year! ?? Thank you for making such a lasting impact!

Looking for a hands-on way to make a BIG impact? Become a Pack Master at Meals from the Heartland! As a Pack Master, you'll play a key role in organizing, training, and supervising our volunteers at packaging stations, plus help with setup and cleanup. Prior training with our team is required—but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Ready to take on a leadership role and help us feed the hungry? Contact us to sign up for training on October 2nd from 5:15-6:30pm at our Packaging Center (375 Lincoln St) in West Des Moines! Email: [email protected] or call 515.473.9530 #PackMaster #MealsFromTheHeartland #Volunteer #FightHunger #MakeADifference