Short trip…massive impact

Today’s blog is courtesy of Jenkins restorations employee Jacob hall

A little over three years ago, I had the opportunity to travel with a group of Jenkins Restorations employees and Servants With a Heart to Nicaragua. It was a short trip with a massive impact.

While our mission was to serve the people of Nicaragua through the meals packed by Servants With a Heart, I could not have anticipated how I would be served by this experience. Each night we would debrief the day and digest what we had seen and heard and been part of through our daily trips to small towns, trash dumps, and other areas. For 4 days we endured rainstorms, heat, humidity, and bugs; but we were able to see the end result of meal packing events that have led to nearly 25 million meals being provided to those in need. The trip was short, but the impact on my life wasn’t.

This year, at the conclusion of our annual fall leader meeting, Jenkins Restorations sponsored yet another annual packing event, and we packed roughly 64,000 meals on a chilly Saturday morning. I had the task of weighing and sealing the bags once the 4 ingredients had been added. As a team, we had to ensure each bag had between 390 and 400 grams of food to make sure each box hit within a certain weight, which in turn would lead to correct pallet weight, etc. Each step of the process is dependent on the previous step for success, but what I stay the most focused on is the opportunity these meals provide for the gospel of Jesus to be shared with the people of Nicaragua.

It can be easy to get lost in the speed and challenge of trying to pack more meals than the table next to you or to outdo the number of meals packed from an earlier packing event. But the reward is knowing that you are a part of placing a meal in a stomach of a person who may not have known earlier that day when they would eat again. The reward is also knowing that supporting this ministry has opened the doors to thousands of conversations that speak of the love and affection of Jesus for those who repent and turn to him in faith.

I would encourage anyone who has thought about doing a packing event to set aside time in the next few weeks and join an event and be part of something bigger than yourself to support those in need and be an active participant in bringing the gospel to others.

Suzanne Yoh
Love people sunday

Today’s guest blogger is Esti pepitone from lake forest church westlake in Denver, nc

Here at Lake Forest Westlake, we believe that Jesus gives us the power and command to “go” make disciples and care for those in need. Therefore, we have joined the Missio Dei (mission of God) by engaging in the lives of vulnerable people…that was what Love People Sunday was about.

On Sunday November 20th Lake Forest joined forces with Servants With a Heart to provide over 80 thousand meals to families in Nicaragua. Families had the option to choose from 3 different times to come in and prepare meals.

Not only was the turnout a success but many families expressed their gratitude for this event. Many of them inquired about the next Love People Sunday, in hopes of hearing they would be able to participate again next year! All of Lake Forest Westlake was and is excited to be a continuous helping hand for many years to come.

Suzanne Yoh
More than a half million meals since 2012!

One of our longest standing relationships here at servants with a heart is the partnership we have formed with Centenary United Methodist Church in Mt. Ulla, NC. With the exception of covid-canceled 2020, they have packed meals with us every year since 2012—a total of 548,208 meals since then!

Carla Kluttz, a Centenary member, has worked every year to plan awesome packing events, along with fundraisers like their recurring '“Will Run for Food 5K.” We are so grateful to Carla and her church for supporting us since our beginning and always being excited to host great events. Below are some photos from last weekend’s most recent packing event, with a few “vintage” shots added in…

Suzanne Yoh
One weekend

Today’s guest blogger is Phillip beacham, from one weekend in Sumter, sc

Over the past 10 years the Youth Pastors in Sumter, South Carolina have been organizing an event called One Weekend. This event is focused on getting teenagers from different churches, denominations, and cultures together for the purpose of worshiping and serving together as one. We have always placed a major emphasis on serving together and want everyone serving at the same time, and ideally doing the same thing.

So in 2016 we began to partner with Servants with a Heart. We have tried many different service projects, but nothing is as wonderful as working with Servants With a Heart. Their team is knowledgeable and helpful. Every year we have been in a different location but no matter the limitations, the team always makes it work.

In 2022 we were actually able, for the first time, to raise our normal goal of 50,000 meals to 75,000 meals. I am incredibly proud of our students in Sumter County. They packaged 75,000 meals and were cleaned up, in 2 hours! I am so thankful for Servants With a heart; they continuously impress our team here in Sumter, and we cannot wait to work with them again next year.

Suzanne Yoh
Nutrition

An important part of my work with Servants With a Heart is teaching the education piece that we present when we have events in schools. Our curriculum focuses on nutrition and poverty. The students are taught about the 6 nutrients in food: protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. Most students can name foods with these nutrients; for example, chicken is a protein and pasta is a carb. They also know that milk has calcium and oranges contain vitamin C. We talk about the importance of everyone eating nutrient-rich foods. Then we look at the ingredients in the Servants With a Heart food. It contains rice, soy, freeze-dried vegetables and a vitamin/mineral powder.

  • Rice: long-grain white rice is widely recognized around the world (and people know how to cook it!); it fills the stomach and has a long shelf-life

  • Crushed, fortified soy: very high in protein (52%), 3 times more protein rich than red meat, vegetarian (acceptable to most diets around the world) and has a long shelf-life

  • Dehydrated vegetables: blend of 6 vegetables enhances vitamin and fiber content, improves taste and visual appeal

  • Vitamin powder: chicken-flavored, vegetarian mixture of 21 vitamins and minerals, and all 9 essential amino acids

I ask if there’s any milk in the bag and of course the students say, “No.” Then I inform them that there is the mineral calcium in the bag, along with vitamin D. I ask about other foods like spinach, which is iron-rich. That mineral, too, is in the bag. They can continue the questions with chicken or apples or whatever nutritious food they think of. Each of the nutrients from these foods is in the meals they pack.

The students learn that if a child eats only a one-cup serving of our food per day, he or she will receive the daily recommended nutrients a body needs to grow, develop and fight diseases (although they will likely still be hungry!).

We end our education sessions telling the students that while they are packing food for the children who desperately need it, they should think about what foods they are putting in their bodies. They should make food choices that are nutrient-rich so their bodies can grow, develop, and fight diseases too.

—Cynthia Hair, SWH Leadership Team Member and Education Leader

Suzanne Yoh
Ukraine and children

Today’s blog is from Cynthia, a longtime member of our SWH leadership team

I recently took my five-year-old granddaughter, Olive, to the LOVE WEEK 2022 Servants With a Heart packing event on July 27 at the Elevation Riverwalk Campus.  On the way there I was telling her that the food we were packing was going to be sent to families in Ukraine who were now living in tents. Naturally Olive asked me why were the families living in tents. As a very prepared grandmother (NOT!) I answered with the first thing that came to my mind, “Because the enemy forced them out of their houses.”  I was trying to avoid words like bombing or war.  Her next question was something like, “Why do they have enemies?”  At that point I wished I had been more prepared to explain what a war is on a five-year-old level.  Olive and I had played the card game War a few weeks ago, so I did use the word war.  I simply answered that Russia and Ukraine are in a war, and that seemed to satisfy her. I did know enough to give simple answers and wait to see if that satisfied her.  It isn’t necessary to give a long elaborate explanation; however, I came home and did a little research on how to talk about the situation in Ukraine to young children.  

Here’s what I learned from Jim Daly, a Focus on the Family writer and advisor:

First, limit what a small child sees on TV or other media. His or her brain is not capable of processing the dramatic news and images.  Actually, don’thave television news on at all when children are around.

Second, provide a perspective that will help the child see how far away Ukraine and Russia are from where we live. It’s difficult for a child to distinguish immediate threats from distant ones. It’s a good idea to show the child a globe or a map so he or she is able to see how much water and land separate our country from theirs.

Third, use simple language and terms that a young child can understand. Referring to Putin as a bully who wants to take control of the land in Ukraine is something a child would understand.

Finally, and most important, assure the child that he or she is a child of God and He loves and cares for each child. Help the child know that God listens to prayers and will always be with His children in scary and difficult situations.

https://jimdaly.focusonthefamily.com/how-to-talk-with-children-about-the-war-in-ukraine/

Suzanne Yoh
Progress!

The food packed by SWH volunteers to be shipped to those suffering in Ukraine has been safely delivered to Romania, from where it will be distributed throughout Ukraine.

Please see this video from Convoy of Hope about their fantastic efforts to help those who are in need in this tragic situation: VIDEO

Suzanne Yoh
1,000,000 and counting

A tremendous milestone will be reached this week for the BeDoTell Youth Ministry at Fort Caswell. They will pack their 1 millionth meal with Servants With a Heart for shipment to Haiti. By the end of the summer they will have packed over 175,000 pounds of life-sustaining food for the people of Haiti.

Since 2017, BeDoTell has been a great partner of SWH. Each summer (other than 2020) for 8 or 9 weeks between 4,000 and 7,000 young people and counselors pack meals. At the end of Summer 2022, nearly 30,000 campers will have had a hands-on opportunity to provide food for their partner in Haiti.

One of the neat things that has come from this is the relationships that have developed with Baptist churches across North Carolina. I have always believed if someone can participate in an event, they will become an advocate for those that have no opportunity to get food regularly. Abject poverty and rampant starvation are foreign to most of us who have not seen the real struggles that people in developing countries deal with daily. We get calls every year about bringing SWH to churches that have packed meals at summer camp and want to continue making a difference for those less fortunate.

If your church or organization would like the chance to become an advocate for those suffering from food instability, please feel free to reach out to us at info@servantswithaheart.org and we will be happy to discuss options for hosting a meal packing event at your site. With looming food shortages throughout the world, your help is greatly needed.

Brandon Faulkner, SWH program director

Suzanne Yoh
Mission accomplished!

Today’s guest blogger is Christina Taylor, egroups & Outreach director at elevation church - Riverwalk in rock hill, Sc

I have packed meals with servants with a heart for years, but something settled differently in my heart when I saw 46 churches and community organizations come together to meet a crisis need. Many of us have felt a sense of helplessness watching the war in Ukraine develop and create such a devastating need. SWH partnered with Convoy of Hope to be the catalyst for us to act on the desire to DO something. They offered the opportunity to feed communities in Ukraine experiencing food scarcity.

During four days of packing events we saw over 1,100 volunteers dedicate time to pack meals. Our goal was audacious—300,000 meals! You can imagine how full my heart was to learn by the end of day four we had packed closer to 330,000 meals! As we cleaned up the event I couldn't help but think of how powerful it is to operate in community. Hundreds of thousands of people will have a meal because of the sacrifice of a few.

Serving alongside church leaders from different denominations, business leaders with different focus areas, and so many incredible community members reminded me that TOGETHER we can create a tremendous impact. It's worth it every time we come together for a collective good. It makes a difference to our local neighbors and this time it made a difference to families across the world.

Suzanne Yoh
Help us pack meals for Ukraine!

We are excited to share that we are partnering with Elevation Church and Convoy of Hope to ship a second container of meals for distribution in Ukraine—and we would love you to join us! Everyone is invited to help pack meals at Elevation Riverwalk in Rock Hill, SC next week. We have shifts at a variety of times, on a variety of days Wednesday May 18-Saturday May 21, and there is still plenty of space to volunteer.

Make an impact on those who really need it right now, as well as on yourself, your family, and your friends!

Sign up here!

Suzanne Yoh