Feeding the world from your own backyard
ProVia is the first company to commit people to serve through Grace's Lifeline program. The Lehmans are hoping more businesses, organizations and families will enjoy the blessings that accompany serving others through the program.
Arlin and Cindi Lehman had a desire to work in the mission field, but as retirees, they felt they were a little too old to go abroad as missionaries.
It turns out they found a way to serve people around the world right in their own backyard.
As members of Grace Church in Berlin, the couple explored some options and found a perfect fit in teaming up with Lifeline Christian Mission, an organization based out of Westerville, Ohio that creates meal packs that have now fed more than 100 million meals to people around the globe.
In connecting with Lifeline, the Lehmans created a way for Grace Church to serve as a monthly meal-packing mission, inviting members to gather weekly to pack meals in the church, meals that are then sent to Westerville and eventually to hungry people around the world.
“Our church organizes and sponsors many mission trips for volunteers to serve around our country and world,” Arlin Lehman said. “Hearing the reports of blessings experienced by those who do left my wife and I wishing we were younger and able to join. We have found meal packing to be a way to get involved in multiple mission activities around the world without the challenge of travel.”
Since they brought the Lifeline mission to Grace, it has become a popular mission for many of the church’s people, as it gives many a chance to provide mission work without traveling, and Lehman said it is a perfect mission field for young and old alike.
“Packing meals is a way individuals, families, businesses, churches and groups of all kinds can be tangibly involved in helping hunger- and nutrition-challenged individuals and families in our community and world,” he said.
On Friday, May 2, the mission branched out into a new venture, inviting employees from local company ProVia to participate in the meal-packing process.
A total of 31 ProVia employees united at Grace Church, where they packaged a blend of rice, soy, vitamin powder and dried vegetables that were earmarked for Guatemala.
Each of the 10,000 bags ProVia volunteers packed will serve six people who are struggling to get food and facing malnutrition.
“It’s hard for us to truly appreciate the pain and anxiety of malnutrition and constant hunger,” Lehman said. “Missionaries go all over the world desiring to share the love of Jesus. But how can that message resonate with someone facing starvation and preoccupied with finding the next meal for themselves and their family? Satisfying the hungry body opens the opportunity to feed the hungry heart, mind and soul.”
Tricia Miller, Grace director of admissions, said watching this local mission project blossom has been rewarding, commending the Lehmans for their innovation and service.
“It’s been a neat way to give back to the community and to the world while, at the same time, bringing together a lot of retirees who have been able to invest themselves in this mission,” Miller said. “People can realize they can serve the world locally and reach out and make an impact as we serve in faith.”
Through Lifeline’s mission, volunteers have a chance to serve an important role in feeding the hungry. It also offers an added benefit of bringing people together for a great cause, which helps draw people closer together.
As an example, the ProVia volunteers were reaping the benefits of a rewarding time of unity and enhancing relationships in their own company while feeding the hungry.
“It’s a good way to get our people involved in mission work,” ProVia’s Freddie Miller said. “What’s great about this is that the focus is all about helping others. This is one way people can live out our purpose and do so together in letting our light shine to help heal a hurting world.”
Lehman said they would love to leverage their experience to help other individuals, families, businesses, churches and groups create a meal-packing event of their own. He said events can involve as few as 10 volunteers or hundreds, with all the necessary supplies costing just 33 cents per meal.
The Lehmans make the drive to Westerville to pick up all the necessary food and materials needed for a meal-packing event.
“Groups can do as many meals as they are comfortable doing because each and every meal is healing lives and feeding the hungry,” Lehman said, adding a group of 10-12 can pack around 2,000-2,500 meals in just one hour. “We are hoping to see this ministry grow beyond our church and spread throughout our community.”
Lehman also said teams can come to Grace to host an event or create one at their own facility. If any group would like to serve in this capacity and have a meal-packing event, they can email the Lehmans at mealpack51@gmail.com.