23-02-2025
Rise Against Hunger volunteers package 25,000 meals at First Christian Church
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Charity can be a small gesture or a grand one. First Christian Church prefers the latter.
Hundreds of volunteers packed and shipped 25,000 meals to people in need around the world for Rise Against Hunger. According to Rise Against Hunger Area Manager Marshay Love, the church's efforts wouldn't have been possible without their donations.
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'The volunteers are funding it,' Love said. 'The volunteers are funneling it into and then putting it into the meal bag, and their hands are literally the last hands to touch the meals before they get over to their receiving community.'
Each meal bag has the same ingredients; scoops of rice, soy, freeze-dried fruits, and vitamins, all meant to be boiled in a pot. After they're shipped, they can become something entirely new depending on their destination.
'Sometimes in the Philippines, they'll put yams and different types of potatoes and stuff with the meals just to give them more heartiness and just make it a little bit more bulky while also adding to it that cultural spin,' Love said.
Over the last six years, First Christian Church has sent over 125,000 meals to people in need. Each year, the church's senior minister Dr. Mark Bender, and the rest of the church got the packing down to a science.
'We've got the youngest kids helping. We've got our oldest folks in and participating wherever they are,' Bender said. 'And we've got people who could not stand for long periods of time, they have a role to play as well.'
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Nationalities of all kinds played a part too. Lieutenant Colonel Michael Rosenkrands with the Royal Danish Air Force was invited to take part as he is staying at Sheppard Air Force Base with the ENJJPT course.
'Honestly, packing a box of food here and giving it to somebody that needs it, it really doesn't matter if it's local or regional or global. I think it's just important we get it out there,' Rosenkrands said.
Once packed up, the meals are shipped to one of nearly 80 countries. The 25,000 packed today will go to Burundi in central Africa.
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