St. Matthew Church celebrates 21 years of driving out hunger

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Parish will launch its 21st Monsignor McSweeney World Hunger Drive fundraising campaign July 15. The campaign will culminate with a meal-packing event from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, in the parish gym.

Many families in Haiti are living a nightmare due to food shortages, poor living conditions and lawlessness. The hunger drive campaign effort works to build a bridge of hope by supplying resources through support of the Missionaries of the Poor in Cap Haitian, and Hands for Haiti, which operates St. Marc School in Tremesse.

This year’s campaign goal is to raise

$340,000, which will help provide a minimum of 300,000 pounds of food and critical supplies to families in need. Donations will also fund sustainability projects and subsidize the education of children at St. Marc School.

Beyond the support for the people of Haiti, and true to the mission of the World Hunger Drive, the current efforts allow continued support of feeding children at a parish in Venezuela and feeding boys at a hostel in India.

The drive also continues to provide food and funds, through food banks, to assist people experiencing homelessness in North Carolina.

Since 2002, St. Matthew Parish has provided over 4,150,800 pounds of food and medical supplies to those in need. The meal-packing effort alone has provided about 3,300,000 packaged meals, shared primarily in Haiti and in the Charlotte area. Additionally, participants have provided hundreds of thousands of dollars for sustainability projects and education.

— Catholic News Herald

How you can help

At www.rebrand.ly/WorldHungerDrive Make a one-time donation in support of the Monsignor McSweeney World Hunger Drive.