In a diocesan news article in October, readers learned about some of the congregations of the diocese with partnerships in Haiti that are continuing despite ongoing protests and unrest. One of these parishes was Christ Church in South Hamilton, which had a group scheduled to go on a mission trip to Haiti last spring but was unable to go due to the unrest.
Ian Drummond/Drum Drum photography
A young packathon participant measures out ingredients for pre-packaged meals that will be sent to a school in Haiti.
In an effort to help, Christ Church hosted a “Packathon” through the organizations Future Forward for Haiti, Inc. and Feed the Hunger, to pack meals in an assembly line fashion to be sent to the Light and Peace School in St. Louis d'Ayiti.
According to one of the event organizers, Huntley Skinner, the packathon was a huge success, drawing around 500 volunteers from surrounding communities who packed 51,800 meals in an evening and a day. In addition to packing the meals, they reached their financial goals, paying for packathon supplies and shipping, as well as raising money to buy land for the school.
Skinner said that the event brought the community to the church and the hospitality of the congregation to the community; and two new families came to visit the following Sunday as a result.
"Our packathon was such an amazing demonstration of the power of love seasoned with the Holy Spirit," Skinner said in an e-mail. "We are so overjoyed by this outcome and the infusion of love and hope it has brought to everyone who participated, and hopefully to the children in Haiti when they receive the food."
--Bridget K. Wood