Church Missionaries Help Lead Effort to Pack 325,000 Meals on 9/11 Day of Service
By Corey Christiansen, Denver Metro News Media Specialist, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
DENVER – On the 25th anniversary of one of the worst days in America’s history, the best of humanity was on full display in Denver. Hundreds of volunteers gathered at Empower Field at Mile High, home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, for the annual 9/11 Day of Service.
While images of the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a sacred swath of Pennsylvania countryside still evoke tears on this day of remembrance, there was also a substantial amount of laughter and just outright joy that filled up Empower Field’s halls.
“9/11 was a terrible thing that happened,” said Elder Rory Schwenson, a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who is from Boise, Idaho and is now serving in Denver. “And so coming together as a community and just really feeling that joyfulness and serving others is one of the best things we can do in this life,” he said.
Elder Schwenson joined 60 of his fellow missionaries to help pack nutritious meals for local individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. This is a tradition for Denver-area missionaries who have now helped with the meal packing event for several years. This year’s event was part of a nationwide effort by the 9/11 Day organization to pack 18 million meals on September 11 – the largest single-day meal pack in U.S. history.
In Denver, 900 volunteers helped pack an incredible 325,000 meals at Empower Field. The missionaries served as captains for the 42 tables that stretched throughout the facility. They also served as runners to carry necessary supplies to the tables. Sister Valencia who is originally from Houston said she loved participating in the event. “It shows Christ-like love because Christ loved to help everyone. It makes me feel good to help the community,” she said.
All of the meals will stay locally and will be distributed through Food Bank of the Rockies and Community Food Share. Erin Pulling is the CEO for Food Bank of the Rockies and marveled at the impact all of the volunteers were able to make. “It is so meaningful to be a part of today’s 9/11 Day of Service because it recognizes how we have turned such a tragic day into a day of giving back – a day that makes a difference,” she said.
According to Pulling, 1 in 8 adults and 1 in 5 children in the Denver metro area are currently experiencing food insecurity – a 12-year high for the region. She said the lack of food often forces families to make difficult decisions between feeding their children and paying essential bills. “By our community showing up today with such care, compassion and generosity, it means that fewer of our neighbors are having to make those choices that none of us should have to make,” Pulling said.
Kelly Lewis is a JustServe Specialist for the Denver metro area and helped organize the assistance of the 60 missionaries. JustServe is a community service platform sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ that connects volunteers with local service opportunities.
Lewis was excited to see the energy the missionaries brought to the event along with their dedication to Christlike service. “What gives me hope for America is what we see behind us,” she said. “People coming together, united for the same purpose: to serve their neighbor and to give back to the community. This creates connection and builds bridges which gives me a lot of hope.”
This is the second year that Donald Grandmaison with 9/11 Day has helped supervise the Denver event. He saw firsthand last year how impactful the missionaries and JustServe were for the event’s success.
“I do a lot of events and I see a lot of people,” Grandmaison said. “And when I was talking to the organizer for this year’s event I said, ‘I really hope that JustServe shows up’ because it gives me a lot of hope watching them be so engaged and present. And there’s no ego. They’re here for service. There’s not a job beneath them and they do it with a smile. And it’s very genuine and they’re very present and it just fills me up. It gives me a lot of joy.”
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