More than 22,000 meals packed for Haiti by local church
JACKSON,Tenn. — Many people spend their Saturday mornings relaxing, enjoying the end of a long work week, but one church decided to use their off-time for 22,000 reasons. “Less than a thousand miles away from here is the poorest country in the world,” College and Youth Pastor TJ Gilliam said. And Fellowship Bible Church is doing everything they can one scoop at a time. “We are packing meals for Haiti,” coordinator Melissa Workman said. Four main ingredients feed children at least one meal. “Each bag has rice, a protein, vegetables, and vitamins,” Workman said. Volunteers scooped, weighed, sealed, and packaged more than 22,000 meals that will feed around 60 children for the next year. “it was really great because we were there for 15 minutes and they said, ‘you already have 2,000 meals’, so that is like, I can’t even do the math. But a bunch of people are getting meals,” volunteer Avery Chenault said. “With 80% of their people living in poverty, it’s just great to see these people spending their one little hour coming out here to help these kids. There are members from the Lane football team out here today and it’s just an inspiration to see our people go out and give help throughout the world,” volunteer Joe Leonard said. The church divided the project among 120 volunteers boxing the meals in three hours. “It’s humbling to know that we can do this you know we live in such a bubble here. You think about everything we see on the news now, what’s going on in Paris, other places, and everybody is in a panic and there are people dying all over the world. But there is hope,” Gilliam said. Church leaders said projects like this give those in the church the opportunity to serve, even when they are not old enough or physically able to go overseas. “Just to see the love that these guys are showing, you don’t have to go on a mission trip. You can go on a mission trip right here in your sanctuary,” Workman said. The church partnered with Food Aid International and Mission of Hope Haiti.
