Churches work together for Haiti
Staff writer
Marion Elementary School gymnasium was packed full of people packing bags of food Saturday in an effort led by Marion Christian Church and joined by other churches in the area.
Bags were packed at tables of eight to 10 volunteers. Each volunteer measured a specific ingredient, added it to the bag, then passed the bag along to the next person. Each bag will feed six people when the ingredients are boiled in a pot.
The plan for the event was to pack enough meals to feed 26,000 people.
“All of these packages go to Haiti,” said Rob McCabe, connection manager for lifeline.org.
Haiti was selected as recipient for the shipment by Marion Christian Church, McCabe said. Food shipments can be sent anywhere in the world the sponsoring organization selects, as long as they have a person who can accept that food, he said.
“We bring in all the equipment and all the ingredients,” he said. “It’s for all ages, that’s the beauty of it.”
Chris Ensley, youth pastor at Marion Christian Church, said the event cost $6,800 to sponsor, and area churches, as well as the ministerial alliance, helped raise money for it.
Volunteers ranging from kids to adults came from across the county to help.
“We wanted to do something community-wide,” Ensley said.
After packing food bags, helpers ate a grilled hamburger meal and later attended an illusionist performance at the Performing Arts Center.