BRICK – An annual event sponsored by the Brick Clergy Association to fight world hunger was held in the all-purpose room of Visitation Roman Catholic Church on Mantoloking Road.
An estimated 100 volunteers from the interfaith group of local clergy donned plastic gloves and hairnets to package 10,000 meals that were administered by Rise Against Hunger, a non-profit world hunger relief organization.
Rise Against Hunger ships more than 40 million meals to more than 30 countries all over the world. The food is sent to schools, orphanages and community development programs. Originally formed in 1998 as Stop Hunger Now, they began the meal packaging program in 2005.
Coordinators for the international humanitarian organization, Jessica Spiller and Joe Ianni, organized the volunteers into stations where dehydrated soy, a vitamin pack, dried vegetables and rice were measured, scooped into plastic bags, weighed, sealed and placed into bins.
Each plastic bag contained the equivalent of six meals, Spiller said.
“The communities these meals are going to will feed a child what might be their only meal the entire day,” Spiller said as the group awaited their packaging instructions. “These 10,000 meals have a direct impact of ending hunger and bringing it down to zero.”
The non-profit organization’s funding comes from a variety of sources including individual donations, corporate sponsorships, grant programs, matching gift programs, and partnerships with foundations.
Rise Against Hunger is not a religious organization, but they work with volunteers from houses of worship as well as various clubs, schools and businesses.
Babette Perednia, who is a parishioner at Living Faith Church in Brick, said this was her sixth or seventh time at the Rise Against Hunger event, which is held in a different house of worship each year.
“I love the community coming together, and the fact that this has a worldwide impact,” she said. “The meals are all shelf-stable until it is distributed after a shipping container is filled up.”
Sharon Monter, who serves as the President of Temple Beth Or, said prepping the meals “is an excellent way to help those who are not as fortunate as we are…you get a sense of warmth and goodness to do for other people.”
Mike Kraymick, whose house of worship, Brick Presbyterian Church, hosted the event two years ago, said this was the third time he has volunteered for the Rise Against Hunger food packaging effort.
He said he always volunteers at the church’s food pantry, held every Wednesday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. “I’ve been blessed, I have healthy children, a good retirement…people need help.”
Father Ed Blanchett, whose Visitation Roman Catholic Church hosted the event, said it was wonderful to see people of different faiths come together.
“The food is important, and the fellowship is so wonderful to see,” he said.
The participating houses of worship included Brick Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church of Laurelton, Living Faith Bible Church, St. Dominic’s Parish Roman Catholic Church, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, St. Raphael the Archangel Episcopal Church, Temple Beth Or and Visitation Roman Catholic Church.
