A Helping Hand to Fight Hunger

Under the watchful eye of volunteers, we rolled up our sleeves, adjusted our hairnets, and were ready to get to work. Thirty stations took up most of the gym, each one laden with rice and supplements, scales and package sealers. Ten to 12 people manned each table and without a starting bell or whistle we dove in. Our goal: 300,000 meals ready for shipment. 

The family was back in our old stomping grounds of Charlotte, volunteering at a food-packing event at our old church, St. Matthew. It was probably our third or fourth packing event and we were eager to get started. Over the years, the food we’ve helped pack has gone to the far reaches of the globe. This year, the packed meals had two destinations – a school and orphanage in Haiti, and local food banks around Charlotte.

There are several organizations that coordinate these food drives, with Stop Hunger Now (stophungernow.org) being one of the most prevalent. The jist behind the event is the church or organization provides the manpower and money to supply, package and ship the food to those most in need.

In years past, St. Matthew has worked with Stop Hunger Now, but this year we went with Servants with a Heart (servantswithaheart.org), a strictly volunteer organization. The benefit? Each food package cost 15 cents versus the Stop Hunger Now’s packets that cost around 40 cents. Both wonderful organizations, but the benefit of cheaper production costs is of course more food getting to those that need it.

There’s a contagious energy when it comes to mass volunteer events. A vibe seems to reverberate around the work, everyone operating together while recognizing we’re doing something good here. It’s palpable, and leaves you with a genuine high of good will for the rest of the day. And with a spirit unique to Americans, we found a way to put a competitive spin on the occasion – challenging shouts of triumph erupted from the tables each time a box was filled. 

The food was made up of long-grain white rice, which our Servants with a Heart partners noted is a widely recognized food staple in most of the world as well as having a long shelf life (3 years) and can fill the stomach. Added to the rice was vitamin-fortified, crushed soy, which is high in protein; a dehydrated blend of vegetables; and a chicken flavored, vegetarian powder containing 21 vitamins and minerals. 

Each package had a serving size of six and at the end of the four different, two-hour shifts, we managed to pack 327,024 meals (54,504 packets). Not a bad days work. Oh, and not that it matters, but our shift packed the most.

Greg, Editor