End The Growling: Beginning to End

End the Growling

Chapter 1: The background and preliminary activity

End the Hunger NE and Outreach Inc.

In America, sometimes referred to as the “land of plenty”, there are still many people who live in poverty and with a lack of food. Many different groups exist to share the plenty with those in need. One of the organizations is Outreach Inc. Three years ago, Cori, a young member of Thornton Heights UMC, was seeking a project to help the hungry. After seeking such a program through a number of sources, her pastor suggested Outreach Inc. through End the Hunger NE and together they set up the first packing date for the Casco Bay Cluster. This was held at Thornton Heights UMC. Last year the packing was done in the large room at Elm Street UMC. Peoples UMC’s Ellis Hall was offered for use as the packing site for 2016. The location was accepted and shortly thereafter preparations for the event began.

Cory hard at work

 Cori worked tirelessly. Beginning in the early stages of Lent 2016 word was sent out to the other churches in the cluster as well as to other concerned community groups about the event to be held on April 9, 2016. The four United Methodist churches that would be involved this year: Cape Elizabeth, Peoples, Thornton Heights and West Scarborough would develop teams for packing and collecting financial resources to purchase the food products for packing. The four churches would also be joined by teams representing the South Portland Food Cupboard, Earth Mommas and the Odd Fellows.

Waiting for the trucks to arrive

Time for a little conversation

The first truck arrives

Dave, Ted And Cori

Second truck is here

Each team member was to be supported, if possible, by $45 subscribed to by sponsors or by the team members themselves. In addition each of the sponsoring churches or groups might raise funds to help support their team members. The raising of funds would be similar to those entrants in running and walking marathons. Eleven teams were formed, 3 each from Peoples UMC and Thornton Heights UMC and one each from Cape Elizabeth UMC, West Scarborough UMC, South Portland Food Cupboard, Earth Mommas and Odd Fellows.

The dolly helped!

One of the teams from Peoples UMC was known as the Peoples Packers headed by Art, another was made up primarily of women who represented the Tuesday morning Bible Study led by Carol and Rosemary and the third, headed by Linda consisted mainly of her working partners at Mercy Hospital. During the Lenten season, the teams at Peoples were supported by members of the congregation with $1365 in contributions. In the first year we had 8 participants with support of $250, the second year we were 13 participants strong and around $400 of financial support. This year 31 members and friends of Peoples would be on the teams. Certainly the support and interest in this project has grown for all of the Cluster as well as Peoples.

All of us on the packing teams thank members and friends of Peoples for sharing their time, talent and financial backing for this activity.  This allowed us to not only read what the Lord would have us engage in but to also do what he would have us do. We are truly “doers of the word”.

Chapter 2: Preparations for Packing

Standing by

JaneMarie and Matt the drivers

On April 8, the day before the packing event, Peoples doors were open by 10 AM ready to receive two truckloads of food product delivered by End the Hunger NE/Outreach Inc. Cori was already there when Art arrived to assist in unloading the trucks. Soon we were met by Pastor Tom, Keith, Dick, Shari, Carol, David from Peoples and Ted from the Cape. Trucks from End Hunger NE/Outreach Inc. had been delayed by traffic around Boston and were late in arriving. The first truck, driven by JaneMarie, arrived around 11:45 AM and the other, driven by Matthew, Northeast Regional Manager for the organization, arrived around 12:15 PM. David had brought a very useful hand dolly. 100 pound bags of rice, large sacks of soy powder, bags of pinto beans, cases of vitamin packets, and cases of dry vegetables needed to be brought in and stacked. Empty folded boxes for packing and plastic bags for the soup mix were all brought in as well.

From Cori's dad

Keep on truckin'

Loads of product

 Cori earlier had emptied her Dad’s car of some packing materials that had been stuffed into the trunk and back seat of his car. We all assisted her before the trucks had arrived. Among the items that were in the car and augmented later from the trucks were the packing grids, electric plastic sealers, scales, funnels, funnel stands, plastic bins of various sizes, hair nets and plastic gloves.

Stacking product

 

 



By one o’clock the trucks had been emptied and all of the material was stacked on the sides of the hall since other activities would still be going on in the hall before the packing event the following afternoon.



We were still not ready since the packing lines would need to be set up, the bins filled and everything checked to make sure they would work properly. After the United Methodist Men’s breakfast on Saturday morning and after the Aerobics class was finished some of the men were able to stay and help set up the tables.

Settingthe stage

Completing the set up

The men that were able to spare some time to set up on Saturday included Art, Pastor Tom, John, Dick and Jim. Five packing stations with two tables were set up. The tables were covered with plastic cloths. Items placed on the tables were bins with rice, pinto beans and soy powder, smaller bins with the vitamin packets and another with dry vegetables, funnel stands, scales, electric plastic sealers and the 18 location grid. Plastic packet bags were placed by each funnel stand. Over 130 cases were put together and taped leaving 12 at the end of each table. Each of the bins were filled and covered so that no dirt would get on the products before the packing would begin in an hour and one half.

The check in table was set up with sign-in sheets and hair nets, mustache masks and plastic gloves that were laid out for the packers. By 11:15 AM almost all was in place for the first wave of packers who would arrive before 1 PM. Cori and her home crew continued to prepare for the afternoon and waited for the Outreach leader, JaneMarie, who had supervised another packing event in Yarmouth that morning, to return.

Chapter 3: 118 volunteers pack 129 Cases of dry soup mix

Packing teams

JaneMarie gives instructions

Around 12:30 PM Ellis Hall began filling up with the volunteers,Kids in Mission from Thornton Heights, Cape Elizabeth UMC, West Scarborough UMC, and the South Portland Food Cupboard, ready to sign in, use hand wipes and don their hair nets, masks and plastic gloves. Allison checked everyone in while Cori and Justin ran around making last minute preparations. Rosemary from Peoples had set up the kitchen with bottles of water, coffee and sweet snacks so that team members might grab a snack before or after their time on the line. The snacks were available throughout the afternoon for each succeeding packing period. The first assembly lines were under way after instructions from JaneMarie, ready to fill 12 cases of 36 packets each of soup mix within the next hour and fifteen or so minutes. As the supply of product was used up Clyde, Art and some younger men would restock the supplies at each of the four work areas.

Kids in Mission

West Scarborough UMC

Cape Elizabeth UMC

South Portland Food Cupboard

West Scarborough another view

Tirelessly the lines of 10 to 12 packers continued to filter product through the funnel and into the plastic bag packets which were then weighed, sealed and placed on the 18 box grid. When there were 36 packets on the grid, they were packed into one of the Outreach marked boxes, taped shut and then taken by someone to the holding area.

PUMC Tuesday Morning Bible Study

Peoples UMC Packers

Near the end of the first packing session the groups that would take over at 2:30 were beginning to enter into Ellis Hall. The four groups in the middle session included three teams that were sponsored through Peoples UMC: Peoples Packers, Tuesday Morning Bible Study and Mercy Peeps, while another represented the Thornton Heights Choir.

Mercy Peeps

Members of Peoples Packers included: Jan, Len, Merrill, Jim, Kit, Randy, Dick, Becky, Keith, Marlene, and Art. The Tuesday Morning Bible Study and friends included: Carol, Rosemary, Pam, Jody, Janice, Sharie, Betty, Ellis, Angela, Angela’s sister and Lennie. The Mercy Peeps included: Linda, Fred, Amy, Chelsea, Jean, Joe, Deborah, Amanda and Carol.

Thornton Heights UMC Choir

Luke the master volunteer

Thanks are extended to all who were able to be among the packers and to all who provided the financial support that each team needed.

At approximately 3:45 PM as these teams neared or surpassed their goals of 12 cases per team, the third wave of packers were ready to take their places on the line. Three teams that were in this third packing period were Thornton Heights Outreach, Odd Fellows and the Earth Mommas.

Odd Fellows

Thornton Heights UMC Outreach

Since some teams were a little short-handed, some of the folks that had worked on the second session also joined the third packing teams. During the latter two sessions young men, Luke and John, were able to assist teams by refilling the bins and packing the completed cases. Clyde was  a jack-of-all trades, not only taking time on the lines but also directing the refilling and packing.

And the youngest was still awake at the end!

Cori's in charge

About 5:30 PM the last of the vitamin packets were placed in the soup mix bags thus bringing to an end the packing. At the end of the day there were 129 cases that had been filled by 118 volunteers. The amount of money that had been raised was $6970.The number of meals packed by all teams combined was 27,880. Because another source in New England had produced 17, 500 packed meals that will be sent to Haiti, all that were packed at Ellis Hall will be distributed between our local South Portland Food Cupboard and others in the Greater Portland area.

129 Cases, 27,880 meals to be distributed to local cupboards.

All of the equipment on the tables needed to be packed and placed in the Outreach truck including the left-over product, bins and unused boxes. As the truck was overloaded, some of the bins and other paraphernalia had to be left behind and picked up on the following Monday. Tables needed to be taken down and the floor swept, which left those remaining die-hards there until 6:15 PM. Although it was a long day, it was a meaningful team building one for all participants. This event was one that shows what can be done when many people join together in a project. Many hands make light work, unless you are carrying rice bags! Pickup and delivery of the cases of food to local food shelters would take place on the following Wednesday.

And we all had a good time building teams!

Thanks again to all who supported and served this worthy activity. It is expected that we will return to Ellis Hall for the next “End the Growling” campaign in 2017.