Stop Hunger Now

10/12/12

Randolph-Macon College and Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church will co-host Stop Hunger Now (SHN) on Sunday, October 28, 2012 in the Brock Sports and Recreation Center. This major event will enhance the college’s tradition of service to others. Volunteers, who will team up to package meals to support school feeding programs and international crisis relief, hope to package more than 30,000 meals.

Assistant Dean of Students James McGhee, the advisor for SHN, is thrilled that R-MC has selected this project.

“The Stop Hunger Now meal-packaging program is extremely simple and effective,” says McGhee. “For $365, a sponsor can feed a child living in poverty for 365 days. Our goal is to raise a minimum of $7,500 to package 30,000 meals. Most of the college’s community-service efforts have focused on the local community as well as environmental sustainability and campus greening projects. Therefore, with the goal of broadening the scope of our students’ service, the Stop Hunger Project was selected.”

Rev. David Hindman ’72, Lead Pastor at Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church, is excited to collaborate with R-MC.

“Stop Hunger Now brings together all ages, builds community and helps everyone see that we can do more together than we can simply on our own,” says Hindman. ““Part of the core identity of Duncan Memorial is its connection to the college. As long as R-MC has called Ashland home we have cherished and celebrated our strong ties. We are so blessed as a faith community to have opportunities like this to interact with wonderful young adults. And it’s exciting to be part of an effort in which a gong announces each 1,000 meals prepared!”

Launched in 2011, R-MC’s Service Fellows program is a multi-year initiative that integrates service opportunities with instruction, reflection and exploration of the contexts and root causes of social needs. The Service Fellows annually elect four administrative officers. Megan Jackson ’14, Maggie Cookson ’15, Will Merritt ’15, and Kethelyne Beauvais ’15 currently serve as officers.

“As executive director of Service Fellows, I have been able to contribute by giving back to others in need,” says Jackson. “The best possible outcome is that we reach our goal for SHN fundraising as we work hand in hand with the community. This connection will help benefit everyone.”
Adwoa Bamfo ’16 is a new member of the Service Fellows initiative.

“The Stop Hunger Now Project is a great cause,” says Bamfo, who was born in Ghana. “By taking part in this project, I am making a difference in the lives of other people. Back in Ghana, I was involved in collecting clothes and other items for orphanages. Randolph-Macon provides me with another opportunity to be of service to others; that is why I decided to be a Service Fellow.
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“Ending world hunger is an achievable goal, but one that will require a global movement,” says Matt Anlyan, program manager for Richmond’s Stop Hunger Now. “Randolph-Macon College is setting an example for other higher- education groups to follow. The meals that volunteers package will not only address the immediate needs of the malnourished, but will also make a long-term impact on global poverty. With the support of R-MC, Stop Hunger Now has the means to deliver meals to school feeding programs that sustain lifelong change. Providing a hot meal during school gives parents an incentive to send their children to school. Through education, the cycle of poverty can begin to be broken by leveraging change in many other areas.”

Stop Hunger Now is presented in conjunction with R-MC’s SERVE program. A kick-off event to raise money for SHN will take place on Monday, September 10 during R-MC’s Activities Carnival at the Frank E. Brown Fountain Plaza. Visit www.rmc.edu often for updates.

Sign up for Stop Hunger Now

For more information about Stop Hunger Now, contact James McGhee at jamesmcghee@rmc.edu or (804) 752-7318 or Jayme Watkins, coordinator of co-curricular programs, at jaymewatkins@rmc.edu or (804) 752-7318.