Meal Time!
July 30, 2010
As you are reading, I am enjoying the mountain climes and climbs of Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. Yes, it’s my sixth sojourn, but taking the easier path of chaplaincy.
As I move into the home stretch of my six year tenure on Stop Hunger Now’s board of directors, it seems good to share with you what’s been happening, and what’s about to happen. The earthquake in Haiti revealed how Stop Hunger Now is wonderfully positioned to respond to such a tragedy and to coordinate many life-saving efforts. The meal packaging venues have boomed as people have shared the vision for ending hunger. Friends, we are part of a movement!
Through June, 10 million meals have been prepared, with millions donated to the people of Haiti and nine other nations: Honduras, Uganda, Nicaragua, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Vietnam, and El Salvador. That’s “cookin’!”
Steve
Volunteers will package a million meals for Stop Hunger Now
More than 4,000 volunteers from area universities and colleges will join forces in late August to break the record they set last year by packaging 1 million meals for Stop Hunger Now, a Raleigh-based international hunger relief organization that coordinates the distribution of food and other life-saving aid around the world.
Last year, volunteers from North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, East Carolina University, Duke University, North Carolina Central University, Peace College, and University of North Carolina at Wilmington packaged a record-breaking 1,031,776 meals during the University Million Meal Week.
This year, four North Carolina universities will host University Million Meal Event. Each site will have its own packaging event where students and community volunteers work side by side in assembly lines to package meals. The week-long event begins at NCSU on August 21 and concludes at UNC-CH, ECU on August 28 and UNCW on November 13th.
More than half of the meals packaged will be distributed to earthquake victims in Haiti. “Stop Hunger Now is committed to providing aid to those in Haiti after the current crisis stops making headlines,” said Ray Buchanan, president and founder of Stop Hunger Now. “The resounding success of UMMW in the past two years assures us we can do it again. The scale of this event draws much needed attention to the war against hunger and provides life-saving meals to the world’s most destitute,” said Ray Buchanan.
Stop Hunger Now’s highly nutritious meals include rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and a vitamin-fortified flavoring mix with 21 essential vitamins and minerals. Each meal costs 25 cents to make. Stop Hunger Now provides the ingredients with funds from sponsors, contributors and student donations.
“Our goal is to raise $250,000 to cover the cost of food and packaging materials for this huge event,” said Rod Brooks, CEO of Stop Hunger Now. “We are actively seeking support.”
Churches, civic organizations, schools, businesses or individuals interested in helping to package meals or donating to the University Million Meals event should contact Stop Hunger Now at 839-8968 or info@stophungernow.org.