Alexandria, Va. - Islamic Relief USA, along with partner Rise Against Hunger, will hold a meal packaging event in the Atlanta area to benefit school children in several countries around the world.

The meal packaging event will take place on Sunday, September 16, at 1000 Williams Drive, Suite 1022, in Marietta, Georgia. The organization also plans to hold another session there on Sunday, November 4.

“Children are dropping out of grade school just to help their family find their next meal. Projects like these allow children to go to school and be around their peers without worrying where their next meal will come from,” said Said Durrah, national volunteer manager for IRUSA. “Countless studies have shown the link between healthful food and better concentration. Being able to work with terrific organizations like Rise Against Hunger makes this experience even more worthy.”

Islamic Relief USA volunteers are expected to pack some 10,000 meals at each session. The meals consist of rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables, and 23 essential vitamins and minerals.

Many of the meals are expected to go to students in Africa. Various countries on that continent have suffered in recent years from either natural or man-made disasters. Georgia is just one of many locations where the meal-packaging sessions will take place. In the coming months, Islamic Relief USA will hold meal-packing sessions in Virginia, Tennessee, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Florida, California, Kansas, Texas, and Massachusetts.

Between all these locations, Islamic Relief USA hopes to pack a total of 500,000 meals by early December. Opportunities to volunteer are still available.

For more information on this program, visit the website, irusa.org/mealpack.

Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization. Its mission is to provide relief and development in a dignified manner regardless of gender, race, or religion and works to empower individuals in their communities and give them a voice in the world. Its programs benefit millions of people each year in more than 40 countries around the world, including in the United States.

Islamic Relief USA meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, a national charity monitoring group affiliated with the Better Business Bureau system. Islamic Relief USA is on the U.S. government’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity list, and it is also a signatory to the code of conduct of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

About Rise Against Hunger

Rise Against Hunger, an international hunger relief organization, aims to show the world that it is, in fact, possible to end hunger by the year 2030. With 20 U.S. locations and five international offices, the organization is committed to nourishing lives, providing emergency aid, empowering communities and growing the hunger movement. Rise Against Hunger has facilitated the packaging of more than 380 million meals distributed to 74 countries around the world.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Syed M. Hassan

media@irusa.org or

(703) 370-7246 (landline)

(571) 421-7032 (cell)

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