The annual Fill the Hall will take place in front of the historic Music Hall on Saturday, June 20th from 9am-12pm. This incredible community event is the largest food drive organized by Gather, and proceeds benefit Gather's Meals for Kids program. Fill the Hall will aim to bring in over 25,000 pounds of food at the event, which in turn will provide nutritious and delicious food to over 600 children and their families.

Starting in May, volunteers and businesses throughout the Seacoast Region will initiate fundraising efforts in their local communities to collect monetary and food donations while increasing awareness in preparation for the upcoming event. During Fill the Hall, these volunteers, businesses, and community members are invited to drive up to the Music Hall to drop off their donations. A dedicated team of over 100 volunteers will be on-site to organize and sort these contributions as we strive to "Fill the Hall" with food for children and families in need.

Food insecurity remains a significant issue for children and teens in the Greater Seacoast region of New Hampshire. Gather directly addresses childhood food insecurity through its innovative food access programs, including Meal for Kids, which provides healthy food to children and teens who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals when school is not in session. The Meals for Kids program provides 600 youth with ten well-balanced, nutritious meals and snacks weekly for 12 weeks and distributes nearly 40,000 pounds of fresh, healthy foods.

Over the past two years, Gather has experienced unprecedented demand for its services, growing from 2,000 to over 10,000 individuals served each month. As a result, the organization is struggling to keep up with the amount of food required to meet demand and is relying more and more on purchasing food to offset the decrease in food donations. The funding collected through Fill the Hall will ensure that Gather can continue to purchase supplemental food for families across the Seacoast.

For more information, visit gathernh.org/fill-the-hall