Submitted photos
The following people attended the Rise Against Hunger event, front row (from left): Justice Sheaffer, Jennifer Sheaffer, Cyrus Benjamin, Clay Laughlin and Jenna Laughlin; second row: Carol Ann Spendiff, Lorraine Mowery, Joanne Yingling, Cole Laughlin, Ash Krayushkin, Denise McMaster and Justine Reehorst. third row: Rhonda Merrill, Ginger Shade, Deena Mateer, Jeannie Botteicher, Deb Carodiskey, Phillis Lyter, Donna Keagle, Margie Smith, Jana White, Kate Snyder and Dennis Yingling; fourth row: Ed Snyder, Vesta Aurand, Linda Chester, Jane Gearheart, Randy Botteicher, Robin Shirk, Stacey Yingling and Dennis Yingling; back row: Frank Merrill, Ben Pierce, Tim Mateer, Rick Shirk, Chris Sheaffer, Pastor Mark Hill and Marv Henry.
LEWISTOWN – Jennifer Sheaffer is driven by the vision of a world without hunger. It’s an ominous task, but one she feels is achievable if everyone keeps the faith.
That’s why Sheaffer and other volunteers at Ellen Chapel Church in Lewistown have partnered with Rise Against Hunger, an international hunger relief organization.
They hope to help Rise Against Hunger achieve this goal by providing food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable and creating a global commitment to mobilize the necessary resources.
“In 2014, when I was a youth group leader in our old church, I took the young people to a youth meeting where they made us participate in an event,” recalled Sheaffer. “The kids enjoyed it so much that we held two events at our former church over the next few years.”
Fast forward, Sheaffer introduced the idea to the congregation at Ellen Chapel.
She organized the event for the congregation, which embraced the meal process by putting together 10,000 meals on Saturdays.
“We raised the necessary funds to hold an event,” she added. “It’s a great time for fellowship, all while being the hands and feet of Christ.”
Meals are bundled with a vitamin pack, soy, dehydrated vegetables and rice. From Mifflin County they are shipped around the world.
“I will receive an email telling me exactly where our meals were sent to,” Sheaffer said.
Rise Against Hunger, formerly known as Stop Hunger Now, is celebrating its 25th year. They hope to end hunger by nourishing lives by providing food and skills training to help those in need rise out of poverty; respond to emergencies by providing food during floods, droughts or political unrest; empowering communities to create long-term solutions to end hunger and poverty; and growing the movement by mobilizing the resources needed to end hunger.
Children in poor countries get a meal by going to school.
The assembly process combines rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and a micronutrient flavoring blend formulated by the Kraft Heinz Company Foundation that contains 20 essential vitamins and minerals.
Typically, the cost of each meal is 34 cents. The food has a shelf life of two years. Rise Against Hunger provides more than 70 percent of its meals to support development programs such as school lunch programs, vocational training programs, early childhood development programs, orphanages and medical clinics.
For more information, visit www.riseagainsthunger.org.
