Sara Swanson

Community invited to help pack meals for Haiti

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Last year's Fed Up with Hunger group.

submitted by Pastor Pete Harris, Sharon United Methodist Church

Sharon United Methodist Church invites the community to join us for our annual meal packing event: “Fed Up with Hunger” on August 24, starting at 9:00 am at the Sharon United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall. The hall is located at 19890 Pleasant Lake Road, Manchester, north of the Sanctuary building. Enter the parking lot either off M-52, or use the west driveway off Pleasant Lake Road

This is the fourth year Sharon United Methodist Church (SUMC) is partnering with a local Christian not-for-profit humanitarian food aid relief organization, I92 Ministries. The name “I92” is a reference to the book of Isaiah, Chapter 9, verse 2, which reads, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”   

Their mission is to partner with businesses, churches and schools around southeast Michigan to organize and host meal packaging events so that  they can provide food for children at nearly 500 schools and orphanages across Haiti.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Northern Hemisphere. With an unemployment rate is higher than 85%, two out of three Haitians live on less than $2 a day. Even if Haiti had a prosperous economy, it does not produce enough food to feed the people – more than 50% of its food is imported and 80% of the imported food is rice.

On Saturday August 24, I92 Ministries will bring beans, rice, plastic bags, sealing machines, cardboard boxes, and strapping tape; all the items needed to package 10,000 meals of beans and rice. We will set up several assembly lines of volunteers to fill each bag of rice and a bag of beans, seal them and then box and count them before sealing them to be shipped to Haiti. “It’s a pretty amazing process to be involved in,” said Rev. Pete Harris. “Last year we completed the project in under 2 ½ hours, including clean-up.”

At the local level I92 Ministries (www.i92.org) of Lenawee County has established a Weekend Meal Pack Program to provide breakfast and lunch backpacks to school children through 10 different schools in Lenawee County that would be at risk of hunger on weekends during the school year. A similar effort takes place each school year in Manchester. 

The total cost of this effort is $3,000 to supply 10,000 meals. Throughout the year, SUMC conducts several fund-raising events in an effort to support this and other mission-based programs. Donations are always welcome and can be made through Sharon United Methodist Church (make checks payable to Sharon UMC) with the memo line “Haiti Meals.” All donations are tax-deductible. 

If you have questions, please contact Sharon United Methodist Church at (734) 428-0996. I92 Ministries can be contacted through their website www.i92.org

2018 meal packing event
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