Successful Spring Meal Packing Event
Enables WV Knights to Focus on Sept. 13th Event
AND YOU CAN BE PART OF THIS HOPE IN ACTION!The West Virginia Knights of Columbus just did a clean sweep for their Spring Hope in Action Meal Packing event in Hurricane, and are now putting pen to paper prepping for a September event in Wheeling.
WV Knight, Will Dempsey of Ascension Parish, said 60,738 meals were packed by volunteers from all over the region representing all faiths. The meals will be delivered internationally, but nearly 6,500 were distributed in WV.
“Our volunteers are from varying backgrounds of beliefs and come together for one joint mission – feeding people – unity in the community,” he said. “Through God all things ARE possible!”
The WV Knights held a similar event last fall for the Cross Catholic Outreach (CCO) program that supports the Catholic religious, laity, and relief organizations serving the vulnerable in 30 countries.
The events are possible, because the statewide Catholic men’s organization has been able to raise the $19,000-$20,000 needed to obtain the provisions needed. Dempsey said the cost per meal is about 33-cents.
“Here in WV, we are blessed to be able to average about two events a year, packing as many as 40,000-120,000 meals, depending on the funds raised for the events,” he said.
Dempsey has been involved in a leadership role for the events since 2021, when he attended training in Maryland for CCO.
The purpose of the event is to provide hope for hungry children and families. The meals are Vitafood formulated with a blend of protein, vitamins, and nutrients to improve health. Servings are calorie-dense, are easy to ship and store, and can be seasoned to suit local preferences, CCO reports.
More than 3 million children worldwide die from hunger related causes each year. That is one child every 10 seconds.
“We can’t even begin to imagine their challenges,” Dempsey said. “This isn’t about an organization, a faith, a state… it’s about feeding people – families like our own.”
The WV Knights have teamed up with Forrest Burdette Memorial United Methodist Church in FALL EVENT DETAILS
Dempsey said the next meal packing event will be Sept. 13 at St. Michael’s Angelus Center in Wheeling. Faithful in the diocese and staff and friends of Wheeling Hospital are asked to volunteer to honor the 175th anniversary of both the Diocese of Wheeling and Wheeling Hospital. Both were established in 1850, 13 years before WV became a state.
Organizers are hoping to surpass the 60,000-meal mark, but again donations and sponsorships to fund the event are needed.
For more information on the event (project number UCP25K5049021)and how to make your gift contact Dempsey at: [email protected] or go directly to: https://crosscatholic.org/food-packing-events/donate/ and scroll down to the Sept. 13 WV event.
To volunteer for the Fall event in Wheeling go to: https://crosscatholic.org/food-packing-events/volunteer/
