The Gathering Draws 25K Meals for Stop Hunger Now

Tamica Smith-Jeuitt, Senior Communications Specialist, Mississippi Conference
 
Photo right: Greg Molen (right) assists with securing a box of filled with meals.  
 
In partnership with the hunger relief agency Stop Hunger Now, youth of the Mississippi Conference of The United Methodist Church recently came together to package 25,000 meals that will be shipped to vulnerable children and families around the world. This occurred during the second day of the conference's 2015 event for youth, The Gathering. It took place Feb. 27 - March 1 at Christ UMC in Jackson, MS. There were roughly 1,100 participants but all of them were not Methodist.   Greg Molen, a volunteer chaperon from Lakeside Presbyterian Church in Brandon, MS, brought approximately 40 young people from his church to experience The Gathering.     
 
"One of the things we look at is to set aside denominational differences and just do things. Really we are all trusting in Jesus Christ as our Savoir, we want to serve him and serve the church. It is not about the denomination," said Molen who worked alongside the students.  
 
The meal packages combine rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and a flavoring mix that includes 23 essential vitamins, according to Stop Hunger Now. The contribution from The Gathering will go towards the Mississippi Conference's one million meals goal. Stop Hunger Now coordinators recently shared that the conference is on track to meet that target number before the June 2015 Session of the Mississippi Annual Conference. So far, more than 955,000 meals have been boxed.  
 
Change was the theme for The Gathering 2015 conference (photo right). The high-energy weekend included worship led by Steve Fee and his band, powerful spoken word art from Amena Brown and a performance by the dance crew Remote Kontrol. The youth engaged in a basketball tournament and other outdoor games. A local television station captured some of the action for its newscasts.
 
Click here to watch the story about The Gathering. To view pictures on Flickr from The Gathering, click here.

More video from The Gathering, enjoy!
Worship, Praise and Play at The Gathering 2015 - http://youtu.be/tvRksQoks1k
United in Prayer at The Gathering 2015- http://youtu.be/VR5F1OH8DYw
All Smiles at The Gathering 2015- http://youtu.be/DfZTxrscSRc