Beyond the Plate 2026
The eighth Beyond the Plate fundraiser in support of the Ithaca MobilePack for Feed My Starving Children was a great success with a sold-out crowd! The event took place February 1 in Mahler Hall and included a delicious five-course meal prepared by local chefs who generously shared their time and talents: Rick Ciaschi (Adam's Corners Cafe), Jay Dietershagen (Crossroads Bar & Grille), Max Hull (Flake Bakery), Jen Irwin and Stan Walton (here.), and Rob McCloskey (Serendipity Catering & Bar), and a welcome drink prepared by Sam Holzbaur (Serendipity Catering & Bar). Wines for each course were paired and presented by Adrian Prieto of Triphammer Wines & Spirits. Thank you, all!
We were thrilled to have Ann Marie Eckert as our emcee for the evening, and guest speaker Rob Foote, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, sharing inspiration and information about the Ithaca MobilePack for Feed My Starving Children.We are finalizing numbers, but anticipate that the event raised just over $30,000—about 40 percent of the funds needed for the 2026 Ithaca MobilePack!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
11,363
CHILDREN FED DAILY FOR A YEAR
17,004
VOLUNTEERS
4,147,860
MEALS PROVIDED (since 2010)
Each year volunteers come together and pack meals for starving children. This mission has continued in Ithaca for 15 years and is still going strong. Planning for the 2026 Ithaca MobilePack has already begun and fundraising happens year-round. Even as dates have not yet been set it is looking promising to meet at the New York National Guard Armory in 2026. Preliminarily, we are preparing to pack 248,000 meals. We look forward to seeing familiar faces and new faces to brighten the lives of children.
Thank you everyone for making the 2025 Ithaca MobilePack a success!
During the MobilePack we asked for your support by joining the Steering Committee and we are glad to welcome three new members.
All the meals packed at our 2025 Ithaca MobilePack are on their way to their destinations. 69,984 meals were sent to Peru via mission partner World Help. The other 178,848 meals were sent to Zambia via mission partner Unto (part of Cru Ministries).
What's a MannaPack?
A MannaPack is an effective and nutritious meal formula comprised of Rice, Soy, Vitamins, and Veggies. Each package feeds a child for a day. Feed My Starvinf Children (FMSC) meals are developed by food science and nutrition professionals to supplement nutritional needs and reduce problems with malnutrition. Nutrition allows children to grow, thrive and develop to their full potential. $.29 pays for one MannaPack meal.
About Packing
Each year approx. 1,000 volunteers in the local Ithaca area come together to pack MannaPack meals over approx. four days. Learn more about the packing experience and its effects at https://www.fmsc.org/about-us
Take your group to tour and participate in a brief sample packing experience at the FMSC Middletown Pennsylvania warehouse near Harrisburg. Contact: Brian Yeich, FMSC MobilePack Development Advisor for details.
Be Part of the Excitement
Get Involved:
Plan the Pack - become a steering committee member by emailing steeringcommittee@ithacamobilepack.org
Promote the Pack - contact info@ithacamobilepack.org
- Host a guest speaker at your organization or fellowship group
- Pass out brochures and posters regarding the event
- Buy a t-shirt and wear it around town
Contribute to the Pack - need to raise $73,000
- Donate for the Ithaca MobilePack
- Fundraise for the Pack - get ideas from the FMSC fundraising page
Register to Pack - either individually or create a group. To register a group and get access to earlier group registration, please email registration@Ithacamobilepack.org
Cleanup After Pack - after we reached have reached our yearly goal… And the pack has ended… We can always use a few more people to help clean up and load up the trailers
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