3 area churches unite to create food packages
By Elisabeth Arriero, Charlotte Observer, May 26, 2010
Over the course of 12 days, three area churches will prepare enough food to feed a million children.
Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization, has created a food mixture that is both nutritionally sound and easy to transport and prepare. The group, founded in 1987, travels all over the nation setting up mobile packing units for various organizations and allows children as young as 5 to participate.
And Charlotte will be the site of its biggest feat yet.
The local churches created the Million Meal Mission after seeing the devastation the earthquake in January caused in Haiti.
Mineral Springs and Harrison United Methodist churches as well as Oasis Shrine Center will hold events in hopes that up to 350,000 meals are packed at each event.
The meals will then be delivered to Haiti and other third world countries.
“It’s a very humbling thing to pack a little package of food and touch a life in another part of the world,” said Karen Gourlay of Harrison United Methodist Church in Pineville.
Each meal consists of rice, soy nuggets, various vitamins and minerals and dehydrated vegetables.
At the June events, the mixture will be brought in bulk via a tractor trailer and will need to be broken down, assembled and packed into small quantities for distribution.
Volunteer Jean Jones, a parishioner at Harrison United Methodist, once attended a Feed My Starving Children event and was impressed by how organized the event was.
Every time the volunteers reached a certain number of bags packed, the entire room would burst into cheers, she said.
“There’s a feeling of fellowship while you’re all working together,” she said. “And to see it all come together – it’s amazing.”
Although each meal is valued at only 17 cents, one million meals means that the three churches must raise $170,000. They also must fill 1,750 two-hour volunteer shifts per event to pull it off.
Patsy Sheppard, an organizer with Harrison United Methodist, said their church has already filled nearly 900 shifts because large groups like US Airways and Boy Scouts of America have stepped up. She estimated that just over half of the volunteer positions for the Harrison United Methodist event have been filled.
“In this economy, a lot of people want to reach out and help each other get through the tough times,” said Becky Kelly, an organizer with Harrison United Methodist. “This is a great way for members of the community to help others in need.”
The church has also put a small dent in their fundraising goal debt by participating in the Belk Charity Day Event and accepting donations from community members, she said.
Still, Sheppard said the church is stressing the need for volunteers over the need for funds.
And compared to other movements – such as the one to get medical supplies to Haiti – the Feed My Starving Children event does not require any special skills or knowledge.
“The general public doesn’t have the training to go to Haiti and help directly,” said Anita King, an organizer with Harrison United Methodist. “But this still gives the community an opportunity to help Haiti in a very hands-on way.”
If the event is successful, Feed My Starving Children might consider building a permanent warehouse in Charlotte similar to that of Samaritan’s Purse for Operation Christmas Child, said Sheppard.
Church event organizers said they think the generosity is great enough in the area that the Million Meal Mission will succeed and lives will be changed.
“It’s a part of our culture to be involved in mission work,” said Bob Gourlay of Harrison United Methodist. “With Feed My Starving Children we can use our hands to feed starving children in impoverished countries – from our hands to their mouths.”
Want to help?
Volunteer for one of the three events at www.millionmealmission.org.
Scouters can go to www.duty2others.org to sign up a Troop, Pack, Den, or Family.
Donate: Go to www.fmsc.org and select “Event #1006-69″ in the comment section. Out of every dollar donated, 94 cents goes directly to feeding programs.
Dates and Locations of Events
June 2 to 5: Mineral Springs United Methodist Church, 5915 Old Waxhaw-Monroe Road, Monroe.
June 16 to 19: Harrison United Methodist Church, 15008 Lancaster Highway, Pineville.
June 22 to 25: Oasis Shrine Center, 604 Doug Mayes Place, Charlotte.
