INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Pack Away Hunger gives a beacon of hope as an organization dedicated to eradicating hunger for those battling hunger daily.

Founded in 2010, Pack Away Hunger operates with a clear objective: to eliminate hunger in Indiana and beyond. 

Nick Reich, the executive director, joined News 8’s Daybreak to discuss the organization’s mission and impact.

The organization’s efforts are not just local. 

Reich said the organization, this week, sent meals to war-torn Ukraine, with a shipment of 142,000 meals was sent to Ukraine, adding to the over 600,000 meals already distributed there since 2022, according to information from the organization.

Since its inception, Pack Away Hunger has expanded its reach internationally, partnering with various groups to provide meals in places like Ukraine, Haiti, and Guatemala. 

In 2023 alone, Pack Away Hunger hosted 66 meal packing events in Indiana, mobilizing over 6,500 volunteers to pack a1.6 million meals. The efforts have had a significant local impact, with meals distributed in cities such as Indianapolis, Lafayette, LaPorte, Crown Point, and even extending to Cleveland, OH, the organization said.