On Monday, community volunteers gathered at Crawford Street United Methodist Church (CSUMC) to assemble packages to aid Rise Against Hunger.

Rise Against Hunger is a non-profit, grassroots group whose goal is to eradicate hunger in remote communities by providing emergency food packets and aid in education. Efforts are concentrated to areas where the Global Hunger Index is rated “serious” or higher, often in the case of emergencies. In addition to the basic nutritional bundle, the organization also provides support for education, skills training and health services.

“Rise Against Hunger is a national organization,” said Lee Ann Whitley, who directs missions outreach at CSUMC.

Rise Against Hunger brings the materials needed and community volunteers transfer them to individual packages.

During a packaging event, assembly lines are set up for combining rice, beans, dehydrated vegetables and vitamins into pre-weighed units. Each package provides six individual servings.

“We will pack 40,000 meals,” Whitley said. “The adults will pack the first 20,000. When the youth come in after supper, they’ll pack the other 40,000.”

The teenagers, who are currently out volunteering on job sites for Service Over Self – another CSUMC volunteer program – will package after their day’s activities improving homes is complete, but children of all ages help. The youngest children serve as “runners” who restock packaging stations while older children help with weighing.

Some of the many areas around the world where Rise Against Hunger is currently active include Haiti, Honduras, Philippines, Nicaragua and South Africa.

Although the community packaging event has ended, donations may be sent to Rise Against Hunger at riseagainsthunger.org.