In 1998, envisioning a world without hunger, Ray Buchanan – a United Methodist minister – founded Stop Hunger Now. In 2017, Stop Hunger Now rebranded to become Rise Against Hunger. After enlisting as a U.S. Marine during the Vietnam War, Ray Buchanan quickly recognized that accomplishing a mission required “commitment to something larger than yourself.” Rise Against Hunger’s approach to ending hunger centers on mobilizing a global network of hunger champions. Rise Against Hunger meal packaging volunteers produce millions of nutritious meals annually that are then distributed to partners in countries around the world. Those partners are best able to address the causes and effects of hunger based on their local presence and expertise. Through Rise Against Hunger’s monitoring and evaluation promise, they ensure the meals distributed by those partners are used as a tool to change lives by promoting education, improving student’s health and nutrition, addressing gender inequalities, stimulating economic growth, and fighting child labor.
Madera United Methodist Church has hosted the Meal Packaging events three times since 2017. The most recent event was hosted in May 2022. About 65-70 volunteers assembled at this event to package 20,000 meals. The event was both fun and rewarding. Look for information on the next Rise Against Hunger event.
