Volunteers at Sanctuary, Marshfield, Mass., pack more than 50,000 Kids Care meals on 11/11/11 for food pantries on the South Shore. This "bird's eye view" was taken from Sanctuary's popular coffee loft as the number of meals packaged reached 23,380, as displayed on the wall.On 11/11/11, more than 580 volunteers from congregations, community groups and local religious organizations gathered at Sanctuary, Marshfield, Mass., to package food for needy families. Working in one hour shifts from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., they exceeded their ambitious goal for the day – packaging 50,802 Kids Care meals for local food pantries all over the South Shore of Massachusetts, from Brockton to West Barnstable.

The entire meal packaging event took place in Sanctuary's newly-remodeled worship space. As the church's pastor, the Rev. Mark Huber explained, "This was our way of sharing our sanctuary with the community, and seeing our service as an act of worship." Sanctuary started in Starbucks a little over two years ago, moved onto a family's deck a year later for worship, and then formed an enduring partnership with the local United Methodist Church. "We've gained some serious traction in Marshfield over the last couple of years," said Pr. Huber. "Now we have a building, a preschool and a sense of purpose. We've been gifted with a brilliant facility, community and a group of people to do ministry."

Pr. Mark Huber (left), Sanctuary, Marshfield, Mass., and the Rev. Matthew Martin, regional manager for New England for Kids Care.All of those "gifts" were put to good use at Sanctuary on 11/11/11. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , the regional manager of Kids Care for New England, organized the food lines and welcomed volunteers. They got right down to "doing what matters," and, shortly, giant numerals representing the number of meals packaged began to appear on a display on the lawn facing Main Street. They were updated every hour, as a way of keeping the community apprised. Like a well-oiled machine, volunteers worked steadily in four assembly lines. But they "made room for joy," as well, talking and often laughing while they worked. One young girl observed, "I don't know anything about this church, but I like it!" Sanctuary's "coffee loft" was a big hit with many of the participants who visited the sunny space during breaks to enjoy their favorite blend, and get a bird's-eye view of the action below.

Pr. Sharon Hughes, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, North Easton, Mass., was among the Lutheran pastors throughout New England who brought a crew from her church. "Our group, which included six teens and three adults, was delighted with the process ... and proud of the record number of boxes we filled in an hour. The only complaint the girls had was about the 'unattractive' hairnets, but they adjusted quickly. They all said the hour went by really fast, and they're excited to do it again!"

In the darkness of night, a group of weary but happy volunteers sealed up the last meals and loaded the final truck with Kids Care packages.

Tally outside Sanctuary, Marshfield, Mass., was updated hourly.So, how did Sanctuary celebrate this remarkable achievement ... the feeding of more than 50,000? "On Sunday (Nov. 13), we came together in worship to celebrate what it means to be disciples trying to live out our faith in this particular place," said Pr. Huber.  And all of the “disciples” who had gathered in Sanctuary’s worship space to package food will remember 11/11/11 as a day when they put their faith into action.

(Article and photos by Kathy Read, a member of the communication team of the New England Synod.)

11/16/2011