Canterbury UMC hosting Stop Hunger Now

Over the course of three days, Canterbury United Methodist Church will have 1,500 volunteers walk through its doors to help pack meals as a part of the Stop Hunger Now organization. 

Starting on Sunday afternoon, members of Phase Gym and the Samford University golf team helped unpack a semi-truck and a bock truck in two hours, while Boy Scout Troop 63 set up Canterbury Hall as a meal packing room. By the end of the day, which only had two shifts scheduled, event organizer Rachel Estes said they had packed 105,000 meals. "I think people really look forward to this event, so they come ready to work," she said. 

Volunteers, which include local community members, schools, businesses and families, are assigned to specific stations for their two-hour shifts. Different tasks include measuring out the ingredients for each meal (rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and a vitamin pack), weighing the contents, sealing and packing the meals and running the meals to different stations. 

While in the past local churches have worked together for the event and packed 500,000 meals in only a few days, Estes said that many have branched out to hold their own events and now Canterbury UMC will package 300,000 meals by Tuesday afternoon, all of which will be going to Haiti. "We see it as a very good thing," she said, explaining that now the total amount of package meals will increase.

The event had packed 160,000 meals by 11:15 a.m. Monday, and Estes said they will hopefully finish all 300,000 meals by midday Tuesday. From there, the meals will be packed into a shipping container and loaded onto a ship in Mobile. The meals will then be delivered to Haiti. 

"[With this event,] I think people are a little more aware of world hunger," she said. "People from all sectors of the community are here. We're very grateful to have everybody."

Currently, Canterbury UMC has openings for more volunteers during their sessions that run during Monday from 1-3 p.m. and on Tuesday from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30. To sign up, visit canterburyumc.org. To view Village Living's Live video, visit our Facebook page.