Wegmans Food Markets, in partnership with the nonprofit 9/11 Day, hosted a community meal pack event Sept. 11 that brought more than 400 volunteers together to assemble more than 145,000 multi-serving oatmeal kits for families in need, honoring the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks through service.
Held at the Wegmans Conference Center in Rochester, New York, the event gathered local companies, first responders and nonprofit partners, with the meals to be distributed through Foodlink, the food bank serving the Greater Rochester region and a longtime Wegmans hunger-relief partner. Meals of Hope served as the event’s meal-pack partner, providing the dry ingredients and helping coordinate the packaging effort.
“The impact of 9/11 Day’s meal packs across the nation is inspiring, and we were honored to bring this meaningful day of service to Rochester,” said Deana Percassi, VP of community engagement and communications at Wegmans. “This event gave our community the opportunity to come together, remember those lost, and support families in need.”
Remembrance and service
The event was part of 9/11 Day’s nationwide effort to transform the anniversary into a day of remembrance and service, with volunteers participating in meal-packing events and other acts of service in cities nationwide. Founded as MyGoodDeed, the organization has donated more than 20 million meals to food banks through its meal pack program since launching it in 2016.
In Rochester, Wegmans was joined by organizations including Pike Construction, Rochester Regional Health, LeChase Construction, the University of Rochester, Paychex and Canandaigua National Bank, along with local nonprofits and first responders.
The event extends the grocer’s long-running support of Foodlink, which received more than $160,000 from Rochester-area stores in this summer’s record-setting Fill the Bus campaign alone.
Wegmans Food Markets Inc. is a regional supermarket chain with 114 stores along the East Coast. The family company celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016 and has been named one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For for 29 consecutive years, ranking No. 5 in 2026.
Related: Wegmans Fill The Bus Campaign Raises Record $769,300 For Food Banks