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Food for Sierra Leone – Annual Conference 2015 Mission Project

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In the past several years, we have asked for donations of birthing kits or school kits to be taken to Annual Conference and distributed thereafter.  This year, we are asking that Churches help prepare food buckets before Annual Conference.  These 5 gallon buckets will be packed onto a container and the container will be blessed by Bishop Hope Morgan Ward and Bishop John Yambasu, who will be visiting our Annual Conference in June from the Sierra Leone Annual Conference.  These food buckets will be a welcomed gift for the people of Sierra Leone who are fighting the effects of the Ebola virus.  Because of the quarantines which were necessary to contain the virus, many people have become desperately in need of basic food supplies.  Particularly impacted are children who have become orphaned due to the Ebola virus outbreak—and countless others who have been ostracized in their communities because of the disease.

It is well within our capabilities to load an entire container of these food buckets and send them as a gift in honor of Bishop Yambasu—who has helped to lead his country’s fight against the problems brought by the Ebola virus.  Bishop Yambasu and his colleagues in the Sierra Leone Annual Conference will distribute the food on the ground as they determine specific needs.

Here are the logistics necessary to prepare the shipment:

  1. Churches can begin to collect food for the food buckets at any time. The items that are needed are as follows:  1 bag of sugar (4 or 5 lbs); 1 bag rice (5 lbs); 1 bag dried beans (2 lbs); 1 package of powdered milk (10 oz or less); 1 box of oatmeal (18 oz or less); 1 bottle of cooking oil (48 oz or less); 2 cans of meat (ham, chicken, or tuna).
  2. Collected food can then be either:
    1. Boxes/bags of food can be collected of the different items—and pre-sorted by type of food.
    2. Or… Churches may pack food in 5 gallon buckets—with all of the items listed above. Should Churches choose to do this option, please contact Bill Haddock beforehand.
  3. All collected food—either in the buckets or in boxes/bags—should be taken to the Ministry Center at 3MC (the small warehouse). The food can be taken to the warehouse on Monday through Saturday, May 11-16, 2015.  May 16 is a part of Change the World Weekend and the warehouse will be in need of volunteers to fill buckets, palletize them, and arrange them for shipment.  Volunteers should arrive at the warehouse at 9 am that day.

You can download a packing list and flyer here. 

Thank you in advance for your help in this project.  Should you have questions, contact the Rev Dr. Bill Haddock at revbillh@nccumc.org or 910.262.3831.