By MARK BUTZOW

Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — For the seventh straight year, volunteers will work side by side with Indianapolis Colts personalities next month in Lucas Oil Stadium to pack meals for the hungry.

But this year will be different, in that half of the food will go to areas affected by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. That’s quite a departure for the organizers. Million Meal Movement, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, usually helps fill food banks and food pantries in the state of Indiana.

“Last year, 100 percent stayed in Indiana,” said Shane Scarlett, manager of Event Services and Volunteer Engagement. “This year, in light of the hurricanes, we’re splitting it in half.” That will mean more than 300,000 meals – each feeding four people – will arrive in Texas and Florida soon.

What is now known as Million Meal Movement – “M3” for short – began in 2007 as an affiliate of Minnesota-based Kids Against Hunger, and the high-protein meals it packed were sent primarily overseas.

Disenchantment with some changes at the top level caused sales account executive Molly Adams and Scarlett to change affiliation three years ago. “We pivoted to Thrive 360, but that turned out to be a mistake. It was a dark couple of months,” Scarlett said.

So, they severed ties and struck out on their own. “We’re independent; we do not have any (sister) affiliates.” Adams said. “The main way we differentiate ourselves is to send all of our food to Indiana sites.”

M3 uses a three-pronged approach to accomplish that – monthly “3rd Saturday” meal packs at its Indianapolis warehouse; the annual Million Meal Marathon event, which will be Oct. 10 this year and involve more than 2,000 volunteers; and a large number of smaller private packing events around the state.

“Those are with companies, with churches, with organizations,” Adams said. “We set up in a break room and we pack meals with them (employees or members) for an hour or two.” Those organizations, or the volunteer packers, pay for the ingredients, too.

“We don’t get a lot of people who write us checks, because they like what we do,” Adams explained. “The people that are packing meals pay for the ingredients.”

The meal is a casserole comprised of soy protein, rice, six different dehydrated vegetables and 21 vitamins and minerals. They are supplied by Blue Ribbon (rice), Cargill (soy), Sylva International (vegetables) and Karlsburger Foods (vitamin powder). It costs about 27 cents for the ingredients.

Groups interested in staging a private packing party are encouraged to phone or email Adams at 317-863-8655 or info@millionmealmovement.org

Based on the number of people volunteering and the duration of the pack, she will provide a price quote and arrange to get enough ingredients there to set up and make the meals.

There’s another way to help at the Oct. 10 event. “We’re always asking for people to help us organize the ‘M3 Crew,’ the ones who actually run the event by setting up, replenishing ingredients and lifting boxes from the lines to storage,” Scarlett said.

And who knows – folks may end up rubbing elbows with a professional nose tackle or cheerleader with the Colts.