Liquid Church packs 800K meals for the needy in Haiti: 'We can all do our part'
The New Jersey-based multi-site megachurch Liquid Church recently oversaw an outreach event in which approximately 800,000 meals were packed for those in need in Haiti.
In partnership with the nonprofit Rise Against Hunger, Liquid organized approximately 3,000 volunteers who worked at six of the church’s campuses in New Jersey on Friday and Saturday.
Liquid Outreach Director Kristin Flynn told The Christian Post that while the church had failed to reach the goal of 1 million packed meals, they were able to procure 300,000 meals from local sources, making the total approximately 1.1 million.
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Flynn noted that the outreach effort was “one of those events that folds everybody in," from "little kiddos to soccer teams to family from out of state."
With the 1.1 million meals collected either through packing or procurement, the food will be shipped out to the Caribbean nation, most likely on Wednesday, according to Flynn.
Once in Haiti, the meals will be distributed by partner organizations in the country that specialize in giving aid, providing education and employment sourcing.
“We can all do our part, we can all come together and pack these meals for a good cause. We can agree upon that right now, even though things are a little divisive,” she continued.
“What I saw on Saturday was just a lot of people coming together for one really good purpose, which was to pack these meals so that people will not go hungry.”
The charitable endeavor aimed at benefitting troubled nations comes amid a recent surge of instability and violence within the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
In November, the U.S. Department of State urged Americans inside Haiti to depart the country as soon as possible due to the upheavals.
“U.S. citizens should carefully consider the risks of traveling to or remaining in Haiti in light of the current security situation and infrastructure challenges,” stated the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince.
“Widespread fuel shortages may limit essential services in an emergency, including access to banks, money transfers, urgent medical care, internet and telecommunications, and public and private transportation options.”
The U.S. government added that the “Embassy is unlikely to be able to assist U.S. citizens in Haiti with departure if commercial options become unavailable.”
In October, 17 missionaries connected to the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries were kidnapped by a Haitian gang known as 400 Mawozo. The terrorist group demanded $17 million for their release.
So far, five of the missionaries have been released, including three who were freed on Sunday evening, according to a statement by the international ministry.
“Those who were released are safe and seem to be in good spirits,” stated the organization. “As with the previous release, we are not able to provide the names of the people released, the circumstances of the release, or any other details.”
