8News & Puritan Cleaners: 100,000 Meals Campaign

Look, we asked for donations… and you all delivered! The 2023 8News and Puritan Cleaners 100,000 Meals Campaign was a massive success thanks to the combined donations from those who graciously participated. But just how many meals were raised?

We’re at the bottom of the ninth for the Puritan Cleaners 100,000 Meals Campaign, 8News is teaming up with the Richmond Flying Squirrels to help raise donations for Feed More.

Belmont Community Resource Services food pantry caters to around 440 Latino families every week. 8News had the opportunity to tour the food pantry with Helen Trevey, the pantry’s executive director.

With all volunteer efforts going towards filling the pantries or grocery bags of families in need. Foods that go a long way include proteins like peanut butter, tuna fish, canned meat and canned vegetables.

“So many people came out filling our jars full of money, which is meals and dropping off food,” said 8News’ Matt DiNardo. “We can’t thank Central Virginia enough.”

Today is the day! The Puritan Cleaners 100,000 Meals Pizza Party is here, and the weather looks fantastic. I’m hoping that the great weather will entice many of you to come on by and help us out.

8News tagged along to help the team prepare boxes with foods ranging from canned goods to pasta. Each box provided enough food for recipients to make meals for a week.

8News and Puritan Cleaners have partnered for 100,000 Meals for 14 years to benefit Feed More, a hunger-relief organization that works with communities in the Richmond Region to stock local food pantries and provide meals to children in need.

8News Meteorologist Matt DiNardo and Puritan Cleaners visited Clover Hill High School in Chesterfield County this week to help kick off the 2023 100,000 Meals campaign.

This year, the 100,000 Meals Campaign raised more than 120,737 meals for Feed More. Every $1 donated was able to help provide four meals to a family in need.

9,784 meals were raised in one day during the 8News – Puritan Cleaners Pizza Party for the 100,000 Meals Campaign.  The pizza party was a one day event that is part of the overall two week fundraising campaign.  

8News visited Providence Elementary School in Chesterfield to see how students organized a food drive to help people in need. If we were grading these students, they would get A’s in community awareness, compassion and care.

Goochland Cares is one of 277 partner agencies that receives help from you donations to the 8News – Puritan Cleaners 100,000 Meals Campaign to benefit Feed More.

NorthStar Academy presents a wonderful donation to the 100,000 Meals Campaign

Open Arms Christian Child Development Center has been donating to the 100,000 Meals Campaign for a decade.

For 17 years the 100,000 Meals Campaign has been going strong thanks to you. However, the need is still there and continues to grow.

The 100,000 Meals Campaign is underway and we will be actively asking you to donate money or canned goods to help people in need over the next two weeks.

What if you were hungry? That’s the question that Puritan Cleaners and 8News are working to address by partnering up with Feed More for their 100,000 Meals Campaign.

The Waymakers Foundation food pantry is located in southside Richmond on Hull Street. The pantry caters to all people from different backgrounds and nationalities but predominately serves Latinos.

Aside from the surge of people in need during the pandemic, Feed More faced another issue — people not being able to get to their local food pantries or food banks. So, they decided to bring good, nutritious food to people in their communities.