By Alyssa Esposito

Correspondent

Suffolk citizens have made another dent in ameliorating what is often considered one of the biggest problems in today’s world — hunger.

Angela Hillis-Baurle, youth ministry leader at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, led 90 volunteers in a meal-packing extravaganza on Saturday. Members and friends of members — with ages ranging from 4 to 87 — of North Suffolk’s St. Andrew Presbyterian Church spent a portion of their day giving back by packing 10,000 meals to help feed the hungry.

After seeing this event take place in various locations over the past several years, including Suffolk’s Ebenezer United Methodist Church, Hillis-Baurle became interested in putting together a similar event at her own church, she said. She worked to coordinate this event through Stop Hunger Now.

Stop Hunger Now’s official website lists 25 locations around the world, including its headquarters in Raleigh, N.C. This organization commits itself to fighting world hunger and provides more than 180 million meals to people all over the world.

While the packing of 10,000 meals rations out to more than 100 meals per person, volunteers still accomplished their task in just one hour. Helpers of the event took it just one meal at a time using the assembly line strategy.

When coordinating with this organization, once the price of the food — just 29 cents per meal — has been paid, Stop Hunger Now provides all of the necessary ingredients needed to put together each meal. Meals consist of rice, soy flour, dehydrated vegetables and a vitamin pack.

Instructions on the organization’s website call for approximately 40 to 50 volunteers for a 10,000-meal packing event. Much to Hillis-Baurle’s surprise, the volunteers came flooding in.

“I thought it was great,” Hillis-Baurle said. “It was great to see all that support.”

Although the organization couldn’t determine the official destination of this church’s meal packages, they likely will be shipped overseas.

Angela hopes to make this an annual event for St. Andrew Presbyterian Church. Based on the large turnout of their first Stop Hunger Now event, it seems very possible.

Those who share an interest in continuing to make a difference in the lives of those who suffer from hunger can learn more about hosting a similar event at www.stophungernow.org.