St. Matthew Church’s annual Monsignor McSweeney World Hunger Drive draws thousands of volunteers to benefit local and international anti-hunger efforts. (File | Catholic News Herald)CHARLOTTE — Headlines out of Haiti over the past week have brought a heightened focus to St. Matthew Church’s annual Monsignor McSweeney World Hunger Drive.
The Charlotte parish’s annual anti-hunger campaign benefits the people of Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, where 80 percent of the population lives on less than $2 per day. Political instability, COVID-19, a failing economy, gang violence, droughts and hurricanes are not only raising the levels of hunger but also leading to increased levels of severe child malnutrition. Last year, five out of every eight children suffered from chronic malnutrition.
To help respond to the need, this year’s World Hunger Drive will include both a virtual fundraising event as well as an in-person meal-packing event.
The virtual fundraiser launched July 10 and will continue until Aug. 1. On Sept. 11, the parish will host an in-person meal-packing event, where an expected 1,200 volunteers will pack 300,000 meals.
The meal-packing event will be part of a number of engaging parish-wide events in September to celebrate the parish’s 35th anniversary.
Now in its 19th year, the World Hunger Drive has made a huge difference in people’s lives.
“Despite the many challenges faced by all of us in 2020, and through the overwhelming generosity of our parish family and the community, we were able to exceed our goals by raising $270,000,” the parish said in a statement. “This enabled us to collect over 250,000 pounds of food and supplies for aid in Haiti and our own community.”
In response to critical food shortages caused by the pandemic, the parish sent $50,000 to the Missionaries of the Poor to purchase emergency food. The parish also provided materials and spiritual support to people in need in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, as well as the students at St. Marc Tremesse School by donating $30,000, which will support sixty students with education, food and health care over the course of the year.
Beyond this support for the people of Haiti, the parish also sent $3,000 to Venezuela to help support a parish food program for children, and committed $20,000 to India to provide food and education at a boys’ hostel.
This year, the parish’s goal is to provide a minimum of 320,000 pounds of food and critical supplies to the Missionaries of the Poor to distribute in Cap-Haitien. Donations will fund sustainability projects and continue to subsidize education at St. Marc School, while expanding the secondary school and starting a trade school. A donation of $100 will feed one of these children for a year.
The 2021 drive will also enable the parish to continue supportive efforts in Venezuela and India, as well as providing food and funds to assist Charlotte-area homeless through food banks such as Second Harvest and Mel’s Diner.
— Catholic News Herald
How you can help
At www.stmatthewcatholic.org/world-hunger-drive: Get information on ways to donate and view an inspiring video of the project