Our Sr. Jean Ustasiewski wrote the following article for the most recent issue of our newsletter. I thought my blog readers would also enjoy it!
Where can 210 people package over 26,500 bags of dried rice, soy, vitamins, and vegetables for individual consumption? On April 1, the Community Center in Aston, Pennsylvania, hosted a gathering of people from Mt. Hope United Methodist Church, Aston Presbyterian Church, St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church, and the Sisters of St. Francis. The morning began at 7:30 A.M. The van was unloaded and the stations set up. Bob Stirckler organized a group of Knights of Columbus from St. Joseph Parish to help in the setup of the gym. One member of the Knights brought his family along to help.
When the setup was complete, participants ranging from four year olds to men and women 90 and older worked in groups of six or more to package the ingredients in a certain sequence. Then runners carried the completed bags to a station where they were weighed and sealed. Another group boxed them and the boxes were placed in the carrier van. Twenty-four sisters and coworkers, including sisters from Assisi House, represented our religious community.
When 3,000 bags were completed, a gong sounded three times for the completion of each 1,000 bags. The final gong sounded about an hour and a half later to let us know that we had completed our task. It was wonderful to see all age levels working together and enjoying the interaction and purpose of the project. The feeling of being able to strike out at world hunger in a tangible way gave us a great sense of fulfillment. During the work time, we experienced a sense of prayer as if those packaging were also praying for the recipients!
The first phase of the project began for us during Advent when we collected over $3,000 for our Advent venture. This money came from congregational services, the sisters in Assisi House, a private donation, and our regular collection on the weekends at Eucharistic Liturgy. The money seemed multiplied in the blessings of this day, April 1!
