By Dr. Regina Graham

Special to the Enterprise

For five consecutive days, students at North Hills Christian School in Salisbury brought quarters to school, collecting them for a non-profit mission called Feed the Hunger.

The organization does exactly what their name says, which is to provide meals to less fortunate children in America and abroad.

Gracie Hauser of Mocksville, a third grader, donated change from her personal coin bank she had saved over time.

“I felt like helping hungry students was more important than things I would buy for myself,” she said as she placed grain in a 13-ounce bag.

Not only did students donate quarters, they also helped prepare the meals.  Classes took turns coming to the gym to participate in bagging the grain, rice, protein, and vitamins. Each bag was filled, weighed, sealed, and packed in boxes ready to ship to schools in Haiti.

According to Feed the Hunger representatives, each meal cost about 28 cents, so the school set a goal of collecting enough quarters to provide 12,000 meals. As a school wide effort, students from junior kindergarten through 12th grade quickly surpassed that goal and raised enough money for 26,000 meals.

Constance McGrail, the coordinator for the school, said: “Friday’s Packathon gave us the opportunity to be hands-on, packing each of these 26,000 meals as a school. With 16,000 children a day dying from hunger-related illnesses, we got to make a difference in changing some of those lives.”

Everyone who entered the gym was asked to put on a hair net and clean their hands before handling any of the items. Gospel music was played as students, teachers, and parents worked together on assembly lines.

At the end of the day, students gathered to pray before the crates were hauled off for shipping.

“I’ve never had to skip a meal or not eat because of no money for food,” Gracie said. “I have no idea what that kind of life is like, but it felt good to make meals for kids in rough situations.”

To learn more about the mission of Feed the Hunger, visit www.feedthehunger.org.

By Dr. Regina Graham

Special to the Enterprise

For five consecutive days, students at North Hills Christian School in Salisbury brought quarters to school, collecting them for a non-profit mission called Feed the Hunger.

The organization does exactly what their name says, which is to provide meals to less fortunate children in America and abroad.

Gracie Hauser of Mocksville, a third grader, donated change from her personal coin bank she had saved over time.

“I felt like helping hungry students was more important than things I would buy for myself,” she said as she placed grain in a 13-ounce bag.

Not only did students donate quarters, they also helped prepare the meals.  Classes took turns coming to the gym to participate in bagging the grain, rice, protein, and vitamins. Each bag was filled, weighed, sealed, and packed in boxes ready to ship to schools in Haiti.

According to Feed the Hunger representatives, each meal cost about 28 cents, so the school set a goal of collecting enough quarters to provide 12,000 meals. As a school wide effort, students from junior kindergarten through 12th grade quickly surpassed that goal and raised enough money for 26,000 meals.

Constance McGrail, the coordinator for the school, said: “Friday’s Packathon gave us the opportunity to be hands-on, packing each of these 26,000 meals as a school. With 16,000 children a day dying from hunger-related illnesses, we got to make a difference in changing some of those lives.”

Everyone who entered the gym was asked to put on a hair net and clean their hands before handling any of the items. Gospel music was played as students, teachers, and parents worked together on assembly lines.

At the end of the day, students gathered to pray before the crates were hauled off for shipping.

“I’ve never had to skip a meal or not eat because of no money for food,” Gracie said. “I have no idea what that kind of life is like, but it felt good to make meals for kids in rough situations.”

To learn more about the mission of Feed the Hunger, visit www.feedthehunger.org.