The Pilot Newspaper - Wednesday, March 17, 2010

On Saturday, March 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the auditorium at Penick Village will again be transformed into assembly lines for packaging meals for Stop Hunger Now, a nonprofit organization that works to do just that.

The North Carolina-based humanitarian outreach ministry ships prepackaged meals to people in need in crisis-stricken nations around the world. Sponsored by Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Southern Pines, St. Mary Magdalene’s Episcopal Church in Seven Lakes and the Sandhills Cluster of Episcopal Churches along with Penick Village, this is Penick Village’s third year to host this outreach event.

The past two Stop Hunger Now events packaged more than 70,000 meals. This year Penick Village needs volunteers, ages 5 years old and up, to once again come help fill plastic packages with rice, soy powder, dried vegetables, flavoring and vitamins for shipment to those in need.

“I was so pleased to know that the meals we packaged last year went to Haiti,” says the Rev. Patsy Smith, chaplain for Penick Village, who is the event coordinator. “To reach our goal to help end hunger we need money, and we need volunteers. The cost of each meal is 25 cents. For example, to provide 10,000 meals we need to raise $2,500.”

Those wishing to make a donation for this event can send checks made payable to the Penick Village — Alms Fund, marked for Stop Hunger Now, can be mailed to P.O. Box 2001, Southern Pines, NC 28388. Donations are tax-deductible, by law, if no goods or services are received.

“A donation of any amount will move us one step closer to helping end hunger around the world,” says Smith.

To register to volunteer on Saturday, March 20, 2010, contact Smith at (910) 692-0355.