A trumpet, a can of beans, and a big idea.
Harvest Pack began with one small act of kindness on a sidewalk in Belize, and grew into millions of healthy meals on tables across the United States and around the world.
It started in San Ignacio
One evening in the small town of San Ignacio, Belize, William McNally came across a man playing his trumpet under a dimly lit streetlight. Engaging in conversation, he learned the man hadn't eaten all day. William expressed gratitude for the music and offered the little cash in his pocket. The man promptly packed up his belongings and disappeared into the night.
From down the street, William watched the man stop at a humble vendor and buy a can of beans, a loaf of bread, and a roll of toilet paper. Reflecting on the simplicity of kindness, William returned home to the United States, inspired to make a difference. He began volunteering at local food shelves and founded Harvest Pack in 2012.
This story is an invitation: embrace the spirit of compassion and lend a helping hand to those in need, regardless of background or circumstance.
Hunger is the world's #1 health risk
In 2023, approximately 47 million Americans suffered from food insecurity, including more than 1 in 5 children. Worldwide, over 250 million people struggled with acute food insecurity. Hunger spills over into housing, safety, education, mental health, and every other part of life.
Sources: USDA 2023 Household Food Security in the U.S. report, via Feeding America and the Global Report on Food Crises 2024.
Volunteer-powered
We support volunteers in bringing Harvest Pack Events to their own communities, then donate the meals to established nonprofit partners who get them to food-insecure neighbors.
Schools & backpack programs
Food insecurity hits children hardest. We partner with school counselors and backpack programs to put food on every student's table.
U.S. focus, worldwide heart
Our primary fight is hunger in the U.S., and we proudly support global needs through select partners in the Philippines, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, and Ukraine.
So, what's in it?
We started with research from food scientists to create meals that are nutritionally rich, with carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins that are easily digestible, plus all nine essential amino acids for complete nutrition. Just add boiling water.
- Local: fortified instant oatmeal. The most nutrient-rich oatmeal we could formulate: soy and GMO-free, flavorful, in bright pouches of 8 servings, donated to food shelves and pantries in communities where it's packed.
- International: rice pilaf. Six servings of vitamin-packed, protein-rich pilaf per pouch, easy to season with local spices around the world.
- For everyone. Every meal is nut-free, vegan, Kosher, and Halal.
Make a difference, globally & locally. In as little as one hour.
Where the meals go is up to the volunteers who pack them. Most stay close to home, and the rest travel to trusted partners around the world.
- Partners choose exactly which organizations receive their food
- Local meals reach food shelves, school backpack programs, and senior deliveries
- We work with select international partners in the Philippines, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, and Ukraine
Over a decade of full tables
Every pin on this map is a food shelf, school, or relief partner that volunteers chose to feed. Search a city, hover a pin, or scroll the years.
Healthy meals packed by year
From pandemic-era "Masked Heroes" events to three straight years topping 3 million meals.
Totals from Harvest Pack annual impact reports.
Where our meals go
Meal donations reached 24 states in 2025, and most meals stay right in the community that packs them. Partners get to choose exactly where their food goes.
Hover over or tap a pin to see what we packed for that partner. Totals are the meals packed for the partners shown, from Harvest Pack partner records, 2018 to 2025.
See all partners as a list
Our rice pilaf travels even farther, to partners in:
- 🇵🇭 Philippines
- 🇸🇻 El Salvador
- 🇬🇹 Guatemala
- 🇭🇹 Haiti
- 🇭🇳 Honduras
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine
Year by year
- 2025: 3,250,241 healthy meals packed across 24 states, our third straight year over 3 million.
- 2023: Record-breaking year: 3,252,287 healthy meals packed by 16,403 volunteers, our most ever.
- 2022: 73 organizations and 10,708 volunteers; ~71% of meals stayed local across 12 states.
- 2019: 50 events across 12 states; 8,849 volunteers; 1.4 million meals; zero-waste education added to every event.
- 2018: High school scholarship and elementary leadership programs launched.
- 2017: #5MillionIn5: five million meals distributed in our first five years.
- 2012: Harvest Pack founded in Minneapolis.
Transparency you can verify
Harvest Pack holds the Candid (formerly GuideStar) Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level, demonstrating our dedication to accountability for the work we do. We are also a Four-Star Charity with Charity Navigator.
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so donations are tax-deductible (EIN 46-0967063)
- Annual reports and Form 990s published every year
- Independently reviewed on Charity Navigator and Candid
Good for tables. Good for the planet.
Most meal-packing ends at the table. Ours keeps giving. Leftover and used event materials live second lives, and nothing usable goes to the landfill.
Plastics, reborn
Plastic wrap, bin liners, and gloves from our events are collected and remade into deck planking and sturdy park benches.
Nothing wasted
Spilled ingredients are inevitable. We collect them in special bins and send them to SoulSpace Farm Sanctuary, where they nourish its rescued residents.
#GrowTheHarvest
Volunteers take home tomato seeds, and the ripe harvest is donated back to local food shelves for neighbors who need it most.
A visit to SoulSpace Farm Sanctuary
The oats and rice that spill at our events don't go in the trash. They go to the pigs, goats, donkeys, and ducks at SoulSpace Farm Sanctuary (opens in a new tab). Here is a day at the farm.
The people behind the packing tables
A dozen staff across the country, from Minneapolis to Spokane to Columbia, SC, guided by a six-member volunteer Board of Directors. Meet them, read their stories, and reach the events team directly.
Be part of the story
From a sidewalk in Belize to 20 million people served, the next chapter is written by people like you.
Host a Packing Event