Oct. 15, 2007 issue
MCC meat canners on the road for 2007-08 season
With stops in 13 states and Canada, project turns out 500,000 cans a year
By Cathryn Clinton Mennonite Central CommitteePage:
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AKRON, Pa. — Mennonite Central Committee’s four-member canning crew is on the road for the annual meat canning effort, which began in early October.
MCC meat canners, from left, Josh Voth, Viktor Schwendich, Eric Thomas and David Martens, will visit 13 states and two Canadian provinces through the end of April. — Photo by Tim Hoover/MCC
The project includes thousands of volunteers and produces more than 500,000 cans of meat for hungry people around the world whose lives have been affected by poverty, war or disaster.
The meat canner will cover thousands of miles as it visits 13 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces through April. This MCC tradition began in 1946.
Last year’s canning season yielded 562,329 cans of meat, which MCC shipped to more than a dozen countries. This protein source can impact whole communities, as a single can feeds 10 to 15 people.
This year, about 44,390 cans of turkey went to Ukraine, where MCC partners provide meat to government orphanages and other programs that help children without parents.
Long before the canning crew arrives, local communities raise funds to cover the cost of canning, which can run as much as $13,000 a day.
Volunteers donate meat and help the crew by preparing and canning. The four-member crew works in shifts, overseeing operations from early morning until night.
This cooperative event gives many people a chance to share.
“The meat canner is about bringing people in and allowing people to share their compassion for others,” said Tim Friesen, MCC’s canning coordinator.
Crew member David Martens reflected on God’s work in his life through this project.
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