By JOSHUA THOMAS

C-S-E Editor

On Saturday, the second annual Stop Hunger Now event drew 200 local volunteers to two locations — the East Hill Elementary School in Canajoharie and the Harry Hoag Elementary School in Fort Plain — to package 44,000 meals that will soon be internationally distributed.

Event Coordinator and Reformed Church of Fort Plain Pastor Nancy Ryan, of Fort Plain, only had six weeks to arrange last year’s event, but was “surprised and excited” by the overwhelming response. 190 people volunteered to help package 25,000 meals last year, which are also purchased through local donations at 25 cents per meal. This year, Ryan had six months to plan, and the extra time paid off in a big way, allowing for $11,000 to be raised, to package nearly double the number of meals at an expanded two sites, also including the neighboring Canajoharie community in the process.

Program Manager Andrew Sullivan said of Stop Hunger Now, an international hunger relief organization catering to 76 countries including the United States, that the organization has a “vision of a world without hunger and a mission to end hunger in our lifetime,” which, he believes can be achieved with volunteer participation.

Sullivan said that a small town event such as Saturday’s is monumental in helping Stop Hunger Now obtain their goal. At the same time the local event took place, Sullivan said there were approximately 30 others happening throughout the United States, with volunteers packaging up to a million meals by mid-afternoon.

Said Sullivan, “Lots of people say, ‘machines can put these meals together, why are you using people?’” The answer, he said, is simple. “We want to give people an outlet to end world hunger. It’s an opportunity for people of all ages to come out, get their hands dirty, do something and feel good about it. It’s something that’s tangible — you can see it.”

Each gymnasium contained numerous stations. At the first stations, groups packaged the ingredients contained in the meals — soy, rice, a vitamin pack and dried vegetables. The ingredients are weighed at the next station, sealed and then packaged. The boxes are marked with the name of the community that packed them, so Stop Hunger Now can trace where the meals end up, then informing the community of their destination.

Last year’s meals fed school children in Nicaragua, and Sullivan noted that he was able to visit Nicaragua and see those meals distributed and consumed. “It’s very interesting to see the meals on the ground, to be able to distribute the meals to children. They’re very much in need, and they were so happy to get that food,” said Sullivan, explaining that the meals often feed school children because it has a two tiered effect of providing a balanced meal while also educating the recipients.

Ryan is extremely proud of the way she’s seen the people from local communities band together for a cause, stating, “The huge difference we make around the world from this little community — we can’t say thank you enough.”

“I was surprised last year that we had such a response, and that it carried over and people really were energized by it,” said Ryan, concluding, with excitement, “people are already talking about next year’s event.”