More than 200 Volunteers Pack Meals in Roaring Spring

The Roaring Spring community united to bring the UNTO humanitarian aid program to the area.

More than 200 volunteers from various denominations congregated at the Roaring Spring Arch on Saturday, April 6, to package 45,000 meals destined for food-insecure regions globally.

“It is a whole community effort,” Pastor John Nothwang of Christ Church and member of the Ministerium said.

On Friday evening, trucks with thousands of pounds of rice and beans showed up at the Arch that were then unloaded for volunteers to repack the next day as part of Cru Ministry’s UNTO PackHope Experience.

Steve Baker said the program is based out of Mount Joy in Lancaster County.

They have a humanitarian aid network in about 190 countries and ship the packaged meals to over 50 places that Baker called the “toughest places on Earth.”

Baker said these “tough places” are located in parts of Africa, Middle East, Latin America, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Nothwang said that he brought up the idea for the UNTO project at a Ministerium meeting where he presented the concept as a humanitarian aid feeding program aimed at the world’s most vulnerable populations.

“It is a humanitarian aid feeding program for the most neediest countries in the world,” he said.

In order to pack 45,000 meals, the community came together to raise $15,000 which allowed them to purchase all the ingredients needed, according Christine Ebersole, co-coordinator with Arch.

Nothwang said the Arch received an anonymous $10,000 donation toward the project, which was contingent on the churches raising the remaining $5,000.

To raise that $5,000, Ebersole said potential donors were reminded that they probably throw $20 worth of food away every week.

“If each person gives $20, it multiplies pretty fast,” she said. “When everyone works together, it helps.”

He said it gives a platform for their partners who are Christians in tough places to be able to meet physical needs and talk about their faith.

“I like to think of it as we know that the food provides physical sustenance, but we also know that there is spiritual sustenance and that is why we do what we do — to share the cause of Christ,” Nothwang said.

“We do much more than just the meals,” Baker said.

Other initiatives undertaken by the organization include water projects, agricultural projects, providing things such as blankets, clothes, medical supplies and hygiene items, and anything else that would be considered humanitarian aid.

Ebersole thought it was interesting that the Roaring Spring Churches worked together on this project.

“It is all different denominations and yet we are working for a common goal,” she said.

The culmination of efforts saw the assembly line of volunteers meticulously preparing the meals.

“The way they’re working together is a great model on how to involve the larger community,” Baker said.