Emergency Feeding Solutions
Studies have shown how a hot meal can reinvigorate and bolster the morale of those impacted by disaster, both survivors and first responders. With HeaterMeals Self-Heating Meals, survivors can enjoy “A Hot Meal, Anytime, Anyplace.” Our patented self-heating technology requires no electricity or open flame to heat the entrees, which means a mobile kitchen is not needed. HeaterMeals can be used in wet or dry, warm or cold environments, and in any situation. HeaterMeals provide everything needed to consume our meals, as well: the entree, the food heater, a serving tray, utensils, seasonings and a napkin. A HeaterMeals entree can be prepared and consumed within 10 minutes of it being placed in an individual’s hands. All of this makes HeaterMeals Self-Heating Meals the ideal choice in the first 24 to 48 hours after a disaster.Butler identified the importance of feeding after a disaster when he commented that, “The need to appease hunger would take priority over attempts to prevent disease, to vary diet for different age groups or conditions, or to balance the nutrient content of emergency menus.” Butler’s fear was that the needed resources would be scarce, and the amount of evacuees might be so great that,” It may be impossible to satisfy traditional food patterns.”
However, what was considered impossible in 1957, is possible today with the use of HeaterMeals Self-Heating Meals.
Today, the importance of feeding individuals after an event is still of primary importance. Within 24 to 48 hours after an event, the Red Cross or the Salvation Army typically step in and establish mobile feeding facilities for those impacted. These organizations perform an important service, and their volunteers are wonderful, caring people. Without their help, emergency feeding in the United States would need to be reevaluated.
However, it takes time for news of the event to spread, and more time to mobilize people and resources to travel to the site of the disaster and set up. A feeding-gap of between one and two days typically occurs. During that time, those affected by that event often go without food. It is during this period that using HeaterMeals Self-Heating meals would fill the feeding-gap.
For example, those needing low-sugar meals might find our Homestyle Chicken and Noodles in Gravy acceptable. It contains only 3 grams of sugar. Additionally, many adults are sensitive to high levels of sodium. When compared to commercial MREs, which are also used for emergency feeding, our meals contain 40% to 70% less sodium. In fact, we offer a menu selection that has only 460 mg of sodium!
Butler also described the importance of familiar food for those impacted by disaster. He described how the morale of those bombed out in England during the Second World War was bolstered, after they “had a cup of tea and cakes.”
The most logical answer is to store a supply of HeaterMeals locally, and have them available for some future disaster. The counter-argument to this idea was always the expense of storing food that will eventually spoil in a short period of time. HeaterMeals EX, however, was designed with EXtended Storage in mind, Up to 5 Years. This product uses the same patented self-heating technology, and features a safety-sealed, high-barrier, 4-layer film pouch to package the food, and gain the extended shelf-life. The extended storage capabilities of HeaterMeals EX allows a local agency to store a quantity of meals, and have them on hand when a disaster strikes.HeaterMeals Self-Heating Meals can offer the same type of comfort today. Our meals are attractively packaged, and look like a food product that might be found in a neighborhood grocery store. Our menu selections are tasty, and familiar, providing a sense of stability. Emergency management consultant Lucien Canton suggests that providing food that victims are used to eating, can be as important to their well-being as supplying shelter and blankets. In times of disaster, when people are looking at the loss of their home and possessions, a familiar tasting meal can offer comfort, and often be the first touchstone to recovery.
Considering all the benefits that HeaterMeals have to offer, they prove to be unimportant if, in the first 24 to 48 hours, the meals cannot get into the hands of those who need them. In 1957, Butler’s article stated that, “In the first phase of an emergency, the problem may be…one of distribution.” Today, distribution remains a key challenge, and HeaterMeals has developed solutions to handle this.
If storage is not an option, then HeaterMeals can be obtained through our expedited processing and shipping. HeaterMeals provides 24/7 emergency access. Call one of our emergency numbers, and you’ll speak to a live person ready to help. In addition, we have developed strategic partnerships with freight carriers, and are centrally located within the United States, just minutes from several major interstate highways that cross the nation. All of this means that we can deliver meals to 79% of the country’s population within just 24 hours after receipt of an order.
Dr. Butler’s 1957 article was written during the Cold War, when the threat of nuclear attack drove their concerns for effective emergency feeding. Today, we still prepare for that eventuality, but that threat has greatly diminished due to the fall of the Soviet Union. Presently, the over-riding need for emergency feeding is due to the continued threat of terrorist attacks and the threat that extreme weather poses. While the catalysts between the two eras differ, the concerns about emergency feeding remain the same. In 1957, these were challenges that required much planning and coordination between government and the private sector. In today’s world, however, we can effectively overcome these challenges by using HeaterMeals Self-Heating Meals.
HeaterMeals provide the nutritional formulation that is best suited for most typical adults. The patented self-heating technology can be used anytime, anyplace. Our attractive packaging, and hot, tasty meals provide comfort, and bolster morale to individuals when they need it most. Our extended storage and transportation options can provide meals at the moment that they’re needed most. And, HeaterMeals Self-Heating Meals are available for purchase through several FEMA/DHS grants.
When one considers the challenges that emergency feeding presents, it becomes clear that HeaterMeals are the ideal solution.