Students flock to Parkersburg church to pack meal kits
Blennerhassett Middle School student Harry Silvis, left, and Parkersburg South High School student Natalie Douglas seal meal kit bags during a Rise Against Hunger event Friday at South Parkersburg Baptist Church. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Hundreds of youth and adult volunteers pack meal kits at a Rise Against Hunger event to address food insecurity overseas Friday at South Parkersburg Baptist Church. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Local students pack meal kit bags during a Rise Against Hunger event Friday at South Parkersburg Baptist Church. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Clockwise from left, Brooklyn Burdette, Andrew Fink, Elliot Frymire, Alex Kanios, Benson DeVore, Malachi Frymire and Jazlynn Dowler pack bags of food with grain, soy and rice at a Rise Against Hunger event Friday evening at South Parkersburg Baptist Church. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Blennerhassett Middle School student Harry Silvis, left, and Parkersburg South High School student Natalie Douglas seal meal kit bags during a Rise Against Hunger event Friday at South Parkersburg Baptist Church. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Hundreds of youth and adult volunteers pack meal kits at a Rise Against Hunger event to address food insecurity overseas Friday at South Parkersburg Baptist Church. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Local students pack meal kit bags during a Rise Against Hunger event Friday at South Parkersburg Baptist Church. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Clockwise from left, Brooklyn Burdette, Andrew Fink, Elliot Frymire, Alex Kanios, Benson DeVore, Malachi Frymire and Jazlynn Dowler pack bags of food with grain, soy and rice at a Rise Against Hunger event Friday evening at South Parkersburg Baptist Church. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
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PARKERSBURG -- Hundreds of middle and high school students gathered Friday evening at South Parkersburg Baptist Church to pack bags of food for those less fortunate.
About a dozen churches joined forces for the event in support of Rise Against Hunger, an organization dedicated to ending hunger around the world.
"It's one thing to come together to have fun," said Eric Tucker, director of Escape Student Ministries at Liberty Street Church in Parkersburg. "But when you come and … you serve shoulder to shoulder, you don't forget that."
Since the event was taking place on Good Friday, when the church recognizes the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, organizers billed it as a "Great Friday" event. Tucker said the goal was not only to prepare food for those in need but to give youth a chance to invite friends along for the evening and, if they had fun, to church on Easter Sunday.
Representatives of Rise Against Hunger set up and guide the event. Students are instructed in how to measure, sort and pack the grain, soy and rice and seal it in plastic bags. The process took some getting used to.
"It was kind of like nerve-wracking at first, but now it's like chill," said Jazlynn Dowler from Grace Gospel Church.
Brooklyn Burdette said scooping the right amount of grain was a slow process in the beginning, "then we started picking up the speed."
The bags of food are "just basically meal kits people can use to make all kinds of meals," Tucker said.
The food will be sent to an overseas country experiencing food insecurity, he said.
Youth group members raised money to cover the cost of the event. When it looked like they wouldn't quite make their goal, the churches pitched in, Tucker said. Now they expect to have some funds left over to donate to the Latrobe Street Mission, so the event can help abroad and at home, Tucker said.
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.
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For more information about Rise Against Hunger: www.riseagainsthunger.org