9/11 Day of Service in Tampa Bay prepares over 400,000 meals for the hungry

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Sept. 11 is a day of remembrance, and thousands of people across the nation are doing something good for people in need.

In Tampa, hundreds of thousands of meals were packed up to help feed the hungry at the Yuengling Center.

In total, there were over 1,400 volunteers making more than 410,000 meals of jambalaya to be distributed throughout the Tampa Bay community. Across the entire country, 30,000 volunteers got to work to pack up 9 million meals.

Twenty-four years ago, the tragedy of 9/11 not only claimed thousands of lives but changed the United States forever.

“The two gentlemen that started this in 2002, one lost family members and recognized that over the years, it may just be for the history books, and wanted it to be a living, breathing, memorial day for doing good for the neighbor,” said Jennifer Bisbee with 9/11 Day.

Organizers and partners with 9/11 Day said they want this day to be about helping others and that Sept. 11 has become the largest day of service in America.

“There’s a moment of silence before the meal packs, so definitely taking that aspect of remembrance into account, but also using it as a day to give back, and make good, and take the day back into an opportunity to come together and have a positive impact in the community,” said Caitlin O’Halloran, Senior Coordinator of Community Relations for Vinik Sports Group.

Inside the Yuengling Center, thousands of volunteers grabbed their hairnets and started packing up meals in an assembly line to give to Feeding Tampa Bay.

“It’s Jambalaya, it’s protein and the folks at Feeding Tampa Bay say that protein is such an important, and often missed part of a meal, when someone has food insecurity,” Bisbee said.

“To feed local families in need, there’s about 1 million families just here in Tampa facing food insecurities,” O’Halloran said.

24 cities across the country participated in 9/11 Day to help pack up meals.

“It’s amazing to see how much work can get done with such a big group in a short amount of time,” O’Halloran said.

Feeding Tampa Bay will pick up the meals and will distribute them throughout the community immediately. If you would like to get involved with 9/11 Day and beyond, click here.