VIDEO: MORE than 500 volunteers from across the Warrington Community turned out in force to help a Rotary project to “Stop Hunger Now.”
Warrington Rotary Club have become the first group in the UK to take part in the project to send out 100,000 meals to feed starving children in Kenya, Africa, working alongside colleagues from America.
More than 500 volunteers from across the Warrington community, each gave up two hours of their free time to join the packing project which took place at Chaigley School, Thelwall over a two day period.
They included local anti-hate campaigner Adrian Derbyshire, Nora Carlin and supporters from her charity Refugee Aid NW (CARE UK), the Mayor of Warrington Cllr Faisal Rashid and warrington-worldwide Editor Gary Skentelbery to name but a few.
The whole event was co-ordinated by Rotarians Eric and Irene Russell and their fellow Warrington Rotary Club colleagues.
Stop Hunger Now meal packaging events are a volunteer-based events that coordinate the streamlined packaging of highly nutritious dehydrated meals comprised of rice, soy, vegetables and 22 essential vitamins and minerals.
The Rotary International theme for 2016/17 is “Rotary Serving Humanity”.
Irene Russell, President of Warrington Rotary said ” I could not think of a better way for our club to demonstrate this than to pack 100,000 meals, which will feed hungry people across the world. This event brings our club, other Rotary clubs and the community as a whole together to celebrate what Rotary does best, Service above Self”.
Around the world, nearly 805 million people lack adequate food. Stop Hunger Now operates meal packaging locations in 19 cities throughout the U.S. and five international locations in South Africa, Malaysia, the Philippines, Italy and India. More than 450,000 volunteers from Rotary Clubs, companies, churches, schools and civic organisations have packaged Stop Hunger Now meals.
Founded in 1998, Stop Hunger Now has delivered aid and disaster relief supplies in the form of food, medical supplies, clothing, school supplies and more to thousands of disaster victims and other hungry and vulnerable people in more than 70 countries.
The Warrington Rotary meal packing event was supported by members of 29 Rotary clubs across the North West, as well as volunteers from local churches, faith groups, charities, students from NCS, businesses and service organisations as well as individuals and families. This was the first ever Rotary collaboration with Stop Hunger Now in the UK and will hopefully lead to more meal packing events in the future.
Volunteers packed more than 7 tonnes of ingredients over the 2 days of the event, creating 100,000 nutritious meals for the Stop Hunger Now programme. All of the meals packed in Warrington are now on route to a school in Kibera in Kenya. These meals will ensure that every pupil attending the school receives one hot meal per day, not only improving their health, but helping to ensure that the children receive an education to help to lift them out of the cycle of poverty. Kibera is a division of Nairobi in Kenya and is the largest slum area in Nairobi, and the largest urban slum area in Africa.
“What we want everyone to know is that hunger is solvable and is the common thread among the world’s most challenging issues. When hunger is targeted, you give leverage and hope to every other cause including poverty, disease, education and the welfare of women and children,” said Rod Brooks, President and CEO of Stop Hunger Now.
For more information on how to contribute to this worthy cause, contact Irene Russell, President of Rotary Warrington, [email protected]
Irene Russell with Adrian Derbyshire and Gary Skentelbery
Gary Skentelbery sealing food packs PICTURE ANDREW GILBERT
Mayor Faisal Rashid attends the event PICTURE ANDREW GILBERT
Gary helps launch one of the packing sessions PICTURE ANDREW GILBERT
The Mayor helps out PICTURE ANDREW GILBERT
