Holmes-Tusc. MCC Meat Canning Board seeking volunteers
Thanks to the hard work of the meat canning team from Mennonite Central Committee and countless volunteers, families around the world are receiving canned meat to help nourish kids like these in Ethiopia. MCC is seeking volunteers to help with its upcoming canning days in Berlin Jan. 28-31.
For those who have plenty, when meat shows up on the dinner plate, it is easy to take for granted.
For many families around the globe, getting a meal at all is a huge blessing, so when real meat comes to them courtesy of Mennonite Central Committee’s annual meat canning events, it can be a life-changing moment they never take for granted.
Every year MCC’s mobile meat canner travels across the U.S., where volunteers unite to prepare cans of turkey, beef, chicken and pork. Those cans are sent to people in need around the world, providing important nutrients when meat is hard to purchase.
This year the annual Holmes-Tuscarawas MCC Meat Canning Days will take place in Berlin Jan. 28-31, and while there is an MCC meat canning unit that is in charge of the process as they travel throughout the nation and even into Canada, it takes many volunteers to make sure each local event runs smoothly and successfully.
“We have always been very blessed to have many incredible volunteers who give of their time and financially to help support our mission here in Berlin,” David Lee Kauffman said. “One of the great positives in this community is that we are blessed with such caring, giving people. If there’s a need, people are just willing to step in and help where they can.”
As has been the case since prior to 1970 when the meat canning building was built in Berlin, MCC will make its annual stop for the Holmes-Tuscarawas Meat Canning Days and will operate each day from 6 a.m. to around 10 p.m., except for Friday, which Kauffman said usually ends earlier because of the volunteers who help wrap up the process in fine fashion.
According to Kauffman, they are still seeking volunteers to fill several of the shifts. Shifts operate from 6-10 a.m., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 2-6 p.m. and a cleanup crew from 6-9 p.m., preparing the facility for the following day’s activity.
“We really need help from the 10-2 shift,” Kauffman said. “But we are still seeking volunteers for all shifts, so we welcome anyone who wants to make a difference and serve others.”
Kauffman said volunteer positions include the canning process, drying and labeling cans, breaking down cardboard, running labels and boxing finished product, and weighing and helping with the actual grinding.
According to board member Dwight Shoup, the choice of which type of meat the organization will feature this year is still up in the air.
“We will either be doing chicken or turkey, depending on the price that our distributor can give us at that moment,” Shoup said, noting that like last year, they are leaning toward chicken.
One major difference in today’s meat canning process compared to former years is that in the past, the meat was hand-carved with knives. Today, all the meat is run through a grinder, making for a cleaner and easier process.
“Initially, we thought people wouldn’t like the grinding, but they seem to love it, and it’s a lot easier,” Shoup said.
Volunteering provides an opportunity to make an impact globally for those in need as they help to can the 30,000 pounds of chicken.
Last year between April 1 and March 31, MCC shipped nearly 440,000 cans of meat worldwide, with more than half of it blessing families in Ethiopia while other families in places like Cuba, Ukraine, Zambia and more also were blessed.
However, in addition to shipping the meat to Akron, Pennsylvania, where it will then be shipped to nations around the globe, the local organization will keep one pallet of 40 boxes of meat (960 cans) to distribute locally to Holmes County Share-A-Christmas and Love Center Food Pantry.
Shoup said it’s inspiring to know volunteers are blessing families both far away and close to home.
Anyone wishing to volunteer, whether an individual or group, may call or text Kauffman at 330-231-5661. Kauffman said food will be provided for volunteers in the way of hot ham and cheese sandwiches, cookies, and water and coffee.
Those who can’t make it to the meat canning effort but wish to make a monetary donation may send a check to Holmes-Tuscarawas Relief, P.O. Box 66, Berlin, OH 44610.