THE BIG CHEESE

The Big Cheese 10
June 12, 2026
500 Volunteers. 250,000 Meals to help meet food needs in Berks County.

Registration opens May 20

Sponsored by American Crane & Equipment Corp, FirstEnergy Foundation, Giant Food Stores and Members 1st Federal Credit Union

 

Get ready for some cheesy fun! We need 500 volunteers to package 250,000 nutrient-fortified meals for local people experiencing food insecurity.

When is The Big Cheese?

Friday, June 12 from 6 – 9 p.m.

What do volunteers do at The Big Cheese?

Volunteers package meals in an assembly-line format. Each table is assigned 11 volunteers. 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 is currently open. Children ages 10 and up are welcome to participate. 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 three meals! Donate now.