Superintendent of the Beacon and Sound Districts, Jon Strother, wanted to bring the clergy and laity of both districts together for a team-building event while helping an organization that he has served for many years. When Jon first became involved with Rise Against Hunger, the organization was called Stop Hunger Now. Over the years, he became familiar with the staff that was once housed within Fairmont UMC in Raleigh. His heart wanted to share the story and impact of this organization with the two districts he has been serving within the NC Conference over the past year.
On May 7, the clergy and laity from the Beacon District held a packing event at Edenton United Methodist Church, and on May 15, those who call the Sound District home gathered at Camp Don Lee for their event. Together, they packed over 14,000 meals that will be distributed around the world to those in need. According to their website, the current countries engaged with Rise Against Hunger include Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Nicaragua, Philippines, Somaliland, South Africa, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.
The 14k meals provided by the Beacon and Sound Districts will help Rise Against Hunger to meet its larger goal. On the Rise Against Hunger website, they explain their main goal, “We provide nutritional support through Rise Against Hunger meals, which contain 20 vitamins and minerals, and local regional procurement, which procures foods locally, to meet community needs. These safety net programs not only provide nourishment, but also support education, skills training, and health services that support the difficult journey out of poverty. As communities continue to experience a lack of access to food, we are working to expand our efforts to consistently provide nutritious food through educational settings to over six million people by 2025.”
Both events were filled with hairnets, laughter, and music, with a little dancing in the mix. After the work was completed, both groups gathered for fellowship around the table and a wonderful meal. Aside from the numerical goals set, Superintendent Strother noted, “The financial support of a number of our congregations helped to remind us of the greater good we can do when we work together.”
For more information about Rise Against Hunger, visit Rise Against Hunger
Gallery from Beacon Event: Photo credit – Rev. Jon Strother
Gallery from Sound Event: Photo credit – Mrs. Kim R. Smith
