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Anthem helpers pack 6,000 backpacks of food for kids

Anthem Foundation volunteers help Gleaners Food Bank in Indianapolis

Randall Newsome | All In - News 8 at 4 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Anthem Foundation kicked off its fifth annual Volunteer Days project on Tuesday.

The health benefits company’s foundation is one of the largest nonprofits in the country and this year it put its efforts toward helping feed hungry kids in Indiana.

“It was a great atmosphere. We actually packed 6,000 backpacks for the kids of Indianapolis,” said Anthem Foundation Executive Director Lance Chrisman.

Anthem employee volunteered and were split into three teams of alumni from Michigan State, Purdue and Indiana universities to make the event a competition.

“It was exciting. There was an energy. It was controlled chaos,” Chrisman said.

“It was absolutely fantastic to watch,” said Peter Erotas with Gleaners Food Bank, a beneficiary of the volunteers’ work.

According to Gleaners figures, 1 out of 8 Americans faces food insecurity. Gleaners believes having access to affordable, nutritious food plays a vital role in a person’s overall health and well-being. They hope giving kids healthy options can stop the long-term health problems including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and other diet-related diseases.

Gleaners staff talked about how critical it is to have so much help and enthusiasm from the Anthem Foundation volunteers.

“It’s absolutely fantastic to see the passion and the commitment to the fight against hunger,” Erotas said.

Since 2015, Anthem volunteers have logged more than 20,000 hours of service on hundreds of projects across the country as part of Anthem Volunteer Days.

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