By Penny Wilson
Vail Edwards Rotary Club

The Vail Edwards Rotary Club had its biggest service project yet on Thursday, June 18 — and the Eagle River Valley is better for it!

Sixty enthusiastic volunteers packed into Vail Health's facility in Edwards for a morning of high-energy community service, rolling up their sleeves alongside the Community Market to tackle food insecurity head-on. In just two and a half hours, the group had assembled nearly 1,700 shelf-stable meal packages — 10,000 servings — destined for Eagle County neighbors in need. That's a lot of meals for a single morning's work!

Grace Anshutz with Eagle Valley Community Foundation poses for a photo with
Rotarians Penny Wilson and Robin Litt who pioneered the Meals of Hope program for the club.

The event was co-chaired by Penny Wilson, Impact Chair, and Robin Litt , Club President, organized in partnership with the Community Market, with Vail Health generously providing the space.

Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds worked side by side, laughing, hustling, and making a real difference — exactly the kind of service that makes Rotary shine. Every single package packed will stay right here in the valley, distributed through the Community Market, the MIRA bus, and the Salvation Army.

"Food insecurity in our valley is real, it's growing, and it's something we can actually do something about," said Penny Wilson. "We hope this is the first of many events like this."

If your club is looking for a fun, meaningful, all-hands service project that energizes members and serves your community in a big way, look no further than a Meals of Hope event. Reach out to Penny Wilson at 970-639-1176 — she'd love to share what they learned!