THE BIG CHEESE

Registration for The Big Cheese opens May 19 at noon

Get ready for some cheesy fun! In honor of our 100th anniversary, we’re celebrating with a BIGGER Big Cheese in 2025. One thousand volunteers will package 500,000 nutrient-fortified meals for local people experiencing food insecurity.

When is The Big Cheese?

Friday, June 13 from 6 – 9 p.m. and Saturday, June 14 from 9 a.m. to noon.

What do volunteers do at The Big Cheese?

Volunteers package meals in an assembly-line format. We also recruit volunteers to serve as heavy lifters and set up for the event. Slots are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. When the maximum number of volunteers have been registered, a waiting list will open.

Where does The Big Cheese take place?

The Big Cheese is held at Penn State Berks.

What happens to the meals after they’ve been packaged?

The meals will be distributed by Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank to local school children through their Weekender Program, as well as to food pantries located throughout Berks County. The Reading School District will also receive a portion of the meals to be distributed to children throughout the school year.

Additional information:

Registration for The Big Cheese opens May 19 at noon. Children ages 10 and up are welcome to participate. This event fills up fast. Please be prepared to enter the following information for all members of your group when you register:

• Name
• Cell Number (if all members of your group have the same cell number, please enter it for only one person)
• Email Address (if all members of your group have the same email address, please enter it for only one person)
• Ages, if any of the volunteers are minors
• Select a potential Table Leader for your group

In the meantime, you can help us support the event with a small donation. Every dollar donated buys four meals! Donate now.