Big Break 2010

Hairnets For Haiti

Spring Break outreach packs 271,000 meals in 2 days.

Photo by Guy Gerrard

By Jonathan Moynihan

10 . March . 2010

1 million meals in 4 weeks -- that’s the goal.

As I mentioned yesterday, this year’s Big Break conference is unlike any other in history.

Through the partnership of the U.S. Campus Ministry, Global Aid Network (GAiN) and Kids Against Hunger, we are seeking to pack at least 1 million meals for victims affected by the Haiti earthquake.

And in our effort, we’re getting spring breakers to step away from partying and help pack meals.

Today, Guy (our photographer) and I shadowed students in the Edgewater Hotel’s hallway while they packed meals.

Around 300 students assisted in the effort, stuffing meal bags full of rice, dried vegetables, vitamins and chicken-flavored soy protein.

The process begins by funneling the 4 ingredients into plastic bags. They’re then sealed by heat stamps, checked for quality and boxed.

Six meals go into every bag, 36 bags into every box and 33 boxes onto every pallet. If you do the math, that’s 7,128 meals per pallet.

To start, the student volunteers don hairnets and organize into assembly lines that would make Henry Ford proud.

As the students become more comfortable with their designated roles, the view on the floor (above) resembles that of Santa’s workshop more than a student conference. The powder of the dried, chicken-flavored protein stings my eyes as I breeze past the tables.

After the initial murmur calms, a new ruckus takes hold of the room. “A Whole New World” from Disney’s Aladdin emerges from a line, and almost instantly the crowd breaks into an uncontainable chorus. After a few more karaoke-inspired sing-alongs including Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” and Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer,” someone plugs in their iPod to a speaker, quieting the group.

About an hour passes and the music cuts out. The silent disappointment is noticeable. That is until Don Campbell, a staff member with Kids Against Hunger, lets out a rally cry declaring that, after only 1 hour, the students have packed 50,000 meals. A thunderous cheer resonates throughout the hotel, and I see 1 hotel staff member wince at the piercing screams of excitement.

The diligence continues and, with every completed box, sporadic cheers boom throughout the hall. Students have been doing the same monotonous task for nearly 3 hours and still they rejoice, knowing the significance this project has in the lives of the Haitian people.

At the end a final announcement is made.

In just 3 hours, over 150,000 meals have been mixed, bagged and boxed, ready to be shipped to Haiti. That makes over 271,000 meals in just 2 days!

Read about Jonathan’s experiences the day before.

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