ANDERSON, Ind. — The congregation at East Side Church of God had read about the tragedy of hunger.
Every three seconds, a person dies of starvation or preventable disease, according to Change This World, a not-for-profit relief organization.
With this in mind, East Side Church of God partnered with CTW to make sure that starvation is not an issue.
On a recent Sunday, East Side hosted a packing event, putting together food packages that would be delivered to Jacmel in southern Haiti and the country of Burundi in Africa.
East Side’s goal was to deliver 50,000 meals, which meant raising $12,500. According to Mark Shaner, pastor of student ministries and missions at East Side, the church raised over $14,000.
“The thing that thrills me,” said Senior Pastor Kerry Robinson, “is the amount of people that grabbed hold of the concept.”
He told the story of a church family who saw a video promoting CTW in one of the services. Later that day, the family’s 10-year-old said, “Dad, we have got to help these people.”
Shaner was delighted that with the economy the way that it is, people were able to give “above and beyond.”
Collecting was done through CTW’s website (www.changethisworld.com), in which patrons could purchase bracelets, bags and T-shirts. Buying a shirt for $20, for example, would equal giving 50 meals.
The church, 2600 E. 5th St., also had a unique method of collecting money. On Jan. 9, East Side passed out water bottles to the congregation and asked participants to fill them up with dimes. A full water bottle amounted to about $95. Around 70 bottles were returned.
Shaner said that children in the church helped raise funds. They collected quarters in M&M tubes amounting to $750.
With the money, East Side was able to pack the meals consisting of rice, soy, vegetables, vitamins and minerals.
In attendance at the event was Director of CTW Marcus Mennenga from Orlando, Fla., where the organization is based.
“I do mobile food packing events all around the country,” said Mennenga. While he does not attend all packing events, he does enjoy the ones he does have a chance to go to.
“I love doing it,” said Mennenga, “but it can’t be run on my shoulders.”
This is where packing event coordinators come in.
Meaghan Crump, Anderson University senior, serves as an event coordinator for CTW.
“It is a way to make a direct global impact,” said Crump of the event. “No person should be dying from starvation.”
CTW states that 23,483 people die each day from starvation or preventable diseases. Of those, 16,000 of those are children.
Crump said that the focus of CTW is children. She said that meals are mainly sent to villages, orphanages and areas in need of disaster relief.
“My passion is that food is used as a tool to feed people for Christ,” said Mennenga. “We use food to give them hope. We share the hope that’s in each of us.”
During the event, roughly 550 people of all ages showed up to lend a helping hand.
“We’ve spanned every generational gap,” said Mennenga.
The gym where the food was packaged was electric with people enthusiastic about helping people around the world. Each time a plastic tub full of food was transported into plastic bags ready for delivery, several cheers were heard.
“It reminds me that there’s another part of the world,” said Valerie Anderson, who helped package the meals. “We are all supposed to care for each other and do something for our other brothers and sisters.”
“We can’t keep turning our heads and playing church,” said Shaner. “I love it when the church is the church.”
The idea of having a packing event at East Side came when the youth ministry went to the Indiana Youth Convention in July of 2010. CTW was there and Shaner made it a part of the church’s mission month.
“Let’s not just hear about the need, but do something about it,” said Shaner.
Crump said the meals will be shipped 200,000 per container by Hungry for a Change, an organization in partnership with CTW, and distributed by IsleGO and the Hands and Feet project.
Not only will the meals have a global impact, but a local one, too. Robinson said that about 5,000 meals will be donated to Man 4 Man Ministries, The Christian Center and Operation Love.
