20 years ago, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina left thousands of people trapped in New Orleans, forced to wait on rooftops or bridges. Surrounded by floodwaters and uncertainty, they had no food, water, or help for several days. Only when the water receded could they make their way to the Superdome for help. 

Among those people was then 14-year-old Terrance Winley. Today, he has not forgotten. The damage of Hurricane Katrina made a lasting impact on him, but it also planted a seed of perseverance that continues to this day. Winley's experience of vulnerability and uncertainty brought him clarity and led him to build a foundation of purpose for his life. 

“You have to go through something to get through something,” Winley said. “It made me strong enough today to where I could raise my daughter and make sure she’s in a position that if something happens like Hurricane Katrina, she knows what to do.”

Today, Winley works at ��«����Ƶ in New Orleans, where he's found a community of shared purpose.

“I work for a company that cares, a company that gives,” he said.����

Winley now proudly participates in ��«����Ƶ’s annual packing events creating “Disaster Relief Packs” for food banks in vulnerable communities.

In 2006, following Hurricane Katrina, ��«����Ƶ partnered with two organizations – Feeding America and Direct Relief – to help communities better prepare for hurricane season by storing nutrition and healthcare products at food banks and clinics in high-risk areas. 

These partnerships began from one of the lessons of Hurricane Katrina: more needed to be done to help communities prepare in advance. Each year, ��«����Ƶ employee volunteers work to pack boxes full of supplies for communities in the path of hurricanes and other disasters. 

What began as a response to a national tragedy has evolved into a proactive, purpose-driven effort to build resilience in these communities.   

��«����Ƶ provides the packs to food banks in high-risk areas like Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Texas. Tailored to different family sizes, these packs include essential nutrition products such as Pedialyte®, Ensure®, and PediaSure®, designed to help meet immediate nutritional needs for up to three days. In 2025 alone, 4,000 packs are expected to support 12,000 people.

Over nearly two decades, our preparedness efforts in partnership with foodbanks and health clinics have delivered critically needed assistance to nearly 1 million people.

“I’ve been the type of person before that needed help,” Winley said. “I was excited to be able to help others – to give somebody an opportunity to not have to be down and need help.” 

Winley’s story is just one of many examples of how ��«����Ƶ people serve others – and how volunteers can make a lasting impact in communities through targeted partnerships.

“I want [my daughter] to be able to know when you’re able to give back – give back,” he said. “Share with others. Not only your friends and family. There’s other people in need in this world.”

To find out more about how ��«����Ƶ’s disaster pack program is helping build community resilience, see our overview story.����