Sign Up for May 13 Rise Against Hunger Meal-Packing Event
Serving Christ by sharing what we have with our neighbors has always been at the core of Saint Stephen’s, from our earliest days as a new church plant in 1973. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our parish this month, it’s fitting that we have committed to packing 50,000 meals for RISE Against Hunger.
According to Rise Against Hunger, “They may look like simple bags of rice and soy, but Rise Against Hunger meals represent the hopes and dreams of people worldwide. ... Volunteers are the heart of our mission to end hunger and we could not send millions of meals around the globe each year without you.” To learn more about Rise Against Hunger’s mission and model, click here.
On Saturday, May 13, we will host a meal packing event in our Parish Hall. You may sign up for a morning shift (9:45-12:00), an afternoon shift (12:45-3:00), or both. Anyone is welcome to pack meals with us, both people from Saint Stephen’s and from the wider Birmingham community. It’s important to go ahead and sign up for a shift today, so that we make sure we have all the volunteers needed for both the morning and the afternoon. Click here to complete the brief sign-up form.
Ryan Short, who led our most recent Rise Against Hunger event, will be coordinating again in 2023. Here’s Ryan’s take on why it’s important for us at Saint Stephen’s to be coming together to pack meals:
I am excited to be leading Saint Stephen’s efforts this year with Rise Against Hunger in conjunction with our 50th anniversary celebration. For those of you that don't know, Rise Against Hunger helped package 44 million meals during 2022, impacting nearly 4.5 million people. They also provide education and resources for increasing the number of farmers and growing more productive crops to continue supporting these regions long after the packaged meals have been delivered and enjoyed. For some perspective, the 50,000 meals that we will be packing will be able to feed 830 people, 2 meals per day, for an entire month. The best part about hosting a RAH event is the participation from the entire St Stephen's community. All ages are encouraged to participate and it will take everyone to complete our goal of 50,000 meals! This teamwork creates a unique energy in the Parish Hall. I encourage everyone to come out Saturday, May 13th to experience the event, do some good, and share a little bit of Saint Stephen's with the rest of the world!
We hope you’ll sign up and help us spread the word to your family, friends, and coworkers who might be interested in volunteering with us here at Saint Stephen’s on Saturday, May 13.