Beacon Christian School Rises Against Hunger

By Makena Horton

UCC Communications Coordinator

Rise Against Hunger is an organization that works to reduce malnourishment in poverty-stricken countries, the majority of which are in Africa and Asia. Inspired by a previous Rise Against Hunger event held at Lewiston Seventh-day Adventist Church, David Gage, principal at Beacon Christian School, wanted to hold an event at the school. “Many of these packets will be distributed to impoverished school children, meaning that education is also being encouraged,” says Gage.

Hadley Bergamo led the fundraising campaign to obtain the $5,000 needed to host the event. She put up posters at school and asked people within her church, Good News Fellowship, to donate to the cause. One donor contributed before the fundraising campaign even began.

The food packages, containing rice, textured vegetable protein and vitamin packets, were put together by the participants using an assembly-line system with several steps. The assembly lines consisted of between six and eight package fillers. Once the package had been filled, one of the students would run it to the scale, where a group of students were waiting to weigh it.

Once the package had been weighed, another participant would run the package to the next station, where volunteers were waiting to seal the package. Another student would run the package to the final station, where a participant would seal the package and box it up. Some of the older students also assisted with setting up tables and unpacking supplies before the start of the event, as well as cleaning up at the end of the event.

In the end, the 56 students, teachers and volunteers had put together about 10,000 meals within the two-hour event. Each package was designed to feed six people, bringing the total number of individuals they were able to provide for to 60,000.

Students shared that they enjoyed being able to bless others during this outreach project, as well as that the event put things into perspective for them. “We should appreciate our food and be glad we have food because some people don’t,” one student commented. Another shared, “We need to help others who don’t have what we have.”

Gage shared the importance of events like this being held at Beacon Christian School. “Probably more important than all the book learning is the lesson that our job on earth is to help and bless others,” says Gage. “My prayer is that we will continually keep our focus on what is good and on how we can take action to bless others.”