The ninth annual ‘Feed the Body, Feed the Soul’ event hosted by Oshkosh Corporation in partnership with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, returns to Oshkosh on Thursday, Sept. 17. This 12-hour celebration of volunteerism and community will feature more than 1,400 volunteers coming together to package and prepare nearly 300,000 pounds of rice, a high-demand and nutritious staple at food pantries throughout Eastern Wisconsin.

Since its launch in 2017 by Oshkosh Corporation, ‘Feed the Body, Feed the Soul’ has become a signature event for friends, families, co-workers, and business leaders and is a powerful example of what can happen when businesses, nonprofits, and community members each contribute what they do best. Generous local sponsors fund the purchase of rice, which is then secured by Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, packaged into family-sized portions by volunteers, and distributed to local food pantries.

The event will take place at Oshkosh Arena (1212 S. Main Street) in Oshkosh from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDT and will include live music by NEW Dueling Pianos throughout the day to feed volunteers’ souls and keep energy levels high.

“The true impact of Feed the Body, Feed the Soul isn’t exclusively measured by the number of bags of rice packed, but by where they go next,” said Monique Kelley, President and CEO at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. “Because of the generosity of our partners and volunteers, thousands of pounds of food will soon be delivered to our network of food pantries and into the homes of neighbors facing hunger.”

The urgent need for events like ‘Feed the Body, Feed the Soul’ continues to grow. According to Feeding America’s most recent Map the Meal Gap report, 1-in-7 people in Eastern Wisconsin are currently experiencing food insecurity, including 1-in-5 children. Over the past eight years, this event has helped package more than 1.4 million pounds of rice, the equivalent of nearly 1.2 million meals, strengthening the local emergency food network by ensuring local pantries are stocked with high-demand foods.

“Making a difference in people’s lives starts with taking care of the communities we call home,” said Jodie Larsen, vice president of community engagement at Oshkosh Corporation. “Feed the Body, Feed the Soul is about neighbors helping neighbors and bringing people together around a need that affects far too many families in our community. What makes this event so special is the collective effort of our team members, local businesses, and community partners who continue to show up year after year to help fight food insecurity across Eastern Wisconsin.”

This event is made possible thanks to the generosity of over 1,400 volunteers, and dozens of community sponsors including U.S Venture, United Healthcare, Lockton, J.J. Keller Foundation, Inc., Amcor, 4imprint, Great Northern, Valley Express, Werner, Community First Credit Union, Oshkosh Arena, Alliance Laundry Systems, Omni Glass & Paint, Menasha Corporation, Fox Communities Credit Union, CDW, C.D. Smith, Amazon Business, Threds, Airgas, Superior Natural Mineral Water, Conger, and Marine Credit Union.

For more information on ‘Feed the Body, Feed the Soul’, visit OshkoshCorp.com/Feed. To learn more about how we can all work together to solve hunger, visit FeedingAmericaWI.org.