BERLIN, CT (September 23, 2011) – Members of Bethany Covenant Church were among the thousands of people who packed 1.1 million meals during CHIC 2006 and 2009 – the meals were distributed around the world by Feed My Starving Children (FSMC).
The teens and adults who attended the Evangelical Covenant Church triennial event in Knoxville, Tennessee, wanted to do something similar when they returned to Berlin. Eventually, they connected with FSMC.
Last month, the church spearheaded its second annual regional food-packing event that attracted 1,300 volunteers representing 40 groups. The groups included churches of all denominations as well as other faith groups, corporate donors, scouts, civic groups and more. Some traveled from New York and Massachusetts to participate.
During the three-day event held August 26-28, volunteers packed 272,160 meals. Each meal cost 24 cents, and donors pay the cost. The meals were packed at warehouse space donated by Connecticut Light & Power Company.
Feed My Starving Children distributes meals to more than 60 impoverished countries and shipped roughly 125 million meals last year. Food packed by the volunteers in Berlin will be shipped to Swaziland, Africa.
As they did last year, Bethany Covenant will donate all proceeds from their annual Pumpkin Patch to the cause.
Other churches whose youth attended CHIC also have sponsored food-packing events with FSMC. All of the events have become multi-generational experiences, with participants ranging from small children to senior adults. Other churches that have held events include Thornapple Evangelical Covenant Church in Grand Rapid, Michigan, and Salem Covenant Church in New Brighton, Minnesota.
Click here to learn more about CHIC 2012, which again will be held on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Editor’s note: Photo courtesy of Jeff Graziano.
