It’s not every week you get to be part of a record-breaking event, but on the weekend before Thanksgiving that’s exactly what happened.
In Flower Mound, TX, 45 minutes outside of downtown Dallas, sits RockPointe Church. For the past 5 years Feed the Hunger has had the honor of packing over 2.5 million meals across 10 events with RockPointe. Here’s what you need to know about RockPointe – they’re competitive. I’m not talking about your “average-Joe” competitive. I’m talking about UNC vs. Duke competitive. I’m talking about Red Sox vs. Yankees competitive. If you think you know competitive – double it. That’s who RockPointe is. They strive to be the very best. About a year ago they set the record for the most meals packed in a weekend with over 311,000 meals. But this year, they wanted more.
We loaded 60,000 pounds of supplies onto two 53′ trailers and pulled them to Flower Mound for the biggest weekend we have ever experienced.
After 4 days, 7 shifts, 1,400 volunteers, 1,409 boxes, and 338,160 meals, RockPointe Church not only beat their record, they destroyed it. When that last number was announced the room erupted in applause. People were screaming, high-fiving, jumping, and even crying. But, even more important than the meal count is the number of hungry children that will be fed by this food. For every box packed, a child will receive one meal a day for an entire school year. That’s why RockPointe works so hard. Not so they can hold the record, but because they seek to abide by the Word of God and give to those in need. The Bible says in 1 John 3:16-18,
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
So yes, it was a huge event, but sometimes in the midst of chaos God still blesses us with incredible personal stories. That weekend was no exception.
On the first day of the event, our staff was introduced to a young man named Blaze. He was born in Ethiopia, but was recently adopted by a family at RockPointe along with some of his siblings. It just so happened that Blaze turned 16 the Saturday of the event. When his parents asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he turned to them and said he wanted to pack food – all day.
The reason might surprise you. You see, Blaze knows what it’s like to be hungry. He grew up in a poor and needy family in Ethiopia. At 6 years old his parents asked him to find a job so that he could help support the family. Let that sink in – at 6 years old. At that age most kids are getting excited about starting first grade, playing soccer, riding bikes, and enjoying time with friends and family. Not Blaze. He was working, so that his family could put food on the table.
And just a short 10 years later, on the day of his 16th birthday, Blaze was still working to put food on the table, but not his own. This time he was helping feed the millions of children who still have no idea where their next meal will come from.
It’s because of people like Blaze that Feed the Hunger can fulfill our mission of feeding physical and spiritual hunger around the world.
Caleb Fox | Assistant Project Manager