Last week, the Bishop of Edmonton, the Rt Revd Rob Wickham, joined volunteers from businesses, churches and community groups at Christ Church Primary School, High Barnet in a food packing event organised by the Christian charity, Feed the Hungry UK.
During the ‘Hand To Hand’ food packing event, a team of over 30 volunteers worked together on a food production line to bag, weigh, seal and box over 5,000 packets of dried food, which are sent to help some of the poorest children in Burkina Faso, where Feed the Hungry UK is working.
These events, of which there have been over 20 in 2019 alone, has two aims: engaging the church family with practical social justice, and developing fellowship and drawing in the local community.
It also contributed towards the helping the 252,000 children in 21 countries that the charity works with each day. More than 3.5 million meals being have been sent as a result of the charity’s work in the United Kingdom in the last 12 months, of which 100,000 meals have been packed through churches and schools.
Most recently, the charity has been working in Malawi to distribute food and supplies to those affected by Cyclone Idai, which has displaced more than 100,000 people across East Africa. The Bishop of Edmonton also recently returned from Mozambique, having been there when the cyclone first struck land, for Bishop Manuel Ernesto’s enthronement as the new Missionary Diocese of Nampula, in the North of the country.
The Bishop of Edmonton, the Rt Revd Rob Wickham, said:
“Seeing a school and church working together to relieve poverty was an immense privilege. As Jesus teaches us, a Christian life is one of service to others, and the Bible is full of stories which challenge our use of money and possessions.
“I am delighted to support the work of Feed the Hungry, as this helps to redress our global inequality, supporting people affected by poverty, war, famine or natural disaster.
“Having recently been in Mozambique, I am acutely aware of the dire circumstances faced by many, and of the positive impact of charitable giving on the lives of those less fortunate.”
Gwyn Williams, Operations Director at Feed the Hungry UK, said:
“Feed The Hungry UK is passionate about feeding some of the world’s poorest children through the camps and schools we are engaged in. So anytime, a group of people come together to pack food, it is a celebration that more people are being fed.
“I’m delighted Bishop Rob has been a supporter of the year of Feed the Hungry UK is recent months, encouraging his clergy to consider picking up the opportunity to host a Hand to Hand food packing event in their area.
“However, we are also grateful that Bishop Rob has supported a school in his area to be the first school in Diocese which has packed food for Feed the Hungry UK and for him to practically take part.
“I look forward to seeing if any schools and churches in the Diocese rise to the challenge of helping us pack more food to be sent to the countries we work.”
