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Chicago Bears, United team up to help those in need of food around the world

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Published  December 19, 2022 4:34pm CST
Bears
FOX 32 Chicago

Chicago Bears, United Airlines work together to battle world hunger

At United Airlines World Headquarters in the Willis Tower, employees of United and the Chicago Bears worked together to package 15,000 meals that will be sent around the globe.

CHICAGO - One day after a tough loss to the Eagles at Soldier Field, some Bears players and staff were working to defeat a new opponent — hunger.

They helped package thousands of meals that will be sent to hunger hot spots all over the world.

At United Airlines Headquarters in the Willis Tower, it sounded like the start of a football game as a drum line played, rallying employees of the Chicago Bears and United Airlines as they worked together to battle hunger.

"There's actually been a huge increase in food hunger and food insecurity across the globe due to what we call the three C's; that's conflict, Covid and climate," said Audre Smikle, who is part of a global nonprofit called Rise Against Hunger.

In 2022, the agency has sent packaged meals to 27 countries around the world.

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On Monday morning, Chicago Bears Cole Kmet, David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert worked with 40 members of the Bears front office and 40 United employees to package 15,000 meals.

It's part of the "Bears Huddle," a monthly program in which team members go out into the community to help make a difference.

"Well, the Bears mission is first to win championships and second to serve the community," said Doug Carnahan, Bears VP for Corporate Partnerships. "So, if you're part of the Bears organization, this is what you do."

Jennifer Entenman of United Airlines said they offered their office space to create a makeshift meal prep kitchen.

"They've brought in pallets of rice, soy. They've got dried vegetables. We're packing them all in plastic bags, sealing them and packing them to ship around the world wherever there's need," Entenman said.

Rise Against Hunger estimates about 820-million people globally don't have enough to eat, and they believe  what they're doing today will help put a small dent in that number.

"Our goal is to make that 820 million, zero," Smikle said. "So, we need as much help as we can get."

Rise Against Hunger is looking for help from other religious organizations, companies, or community groups to help package food. So far, they say they've sent three million food packets around the world.