Five months have passed since Hurricane Matthew swept through southwest Haiti. The latest natural disaster to wreak havoc on lives in Haiti, the hurricane destroyed crops in Haiti's largest agricultural region, adding to the country's on-going struggle with food insecurity. Thanks to a partnership between Cornerstone Fellowship Church, Kids Against Hunger and Extollo International, food packing events have been held across Haiti, empowering Haitians to help one another.

Enstiti Travay Sosyal & Syans Sosyal (ETS) Packing Event, Feb 11

Social work students from The Institute of Social Work and Social Science packed 8,000 Kids Against Hunger meals last month. The food is being distributed in Jeremie where families continue to struggle since the hurricane hit.

Extollo construction training graduates, Emmanuel Fongene, Mackenson Louijean and Carlos Joinville, helped facilitate this packing event in Croix des Bouquets, Haiti. The students were excited to see the mission of their school put into practice in this day of giving back. It is the ETS mission to raise up a new generation of Haitian leaders who improve the lives of ordinary Haitians and contribute to the enactment of just social policies in Haiti.

During a 12 minute food packing competition, these ladies were a force to be reckoned with, outpacking all of the other tables.

A sticker on each Kids Against Hunger box lets food recipients know the meals are "Packed in Haiti by Haitians with Haitian Grown Rice".

These students show you can still look stylish in a hairnet.

La Gonave Children's Village Packing Event, Feb 18

Back to back food packing sessions were held on La Gonave Island, the location of Extollo's second training and construction project. The La Gonave Children’s Village and Institution Guerrier hosted and packed 23,000 meals. Approximately 2,000 lbs of food and supplies were brought over from the mainland to La Gonave by wooden sail boat to facilitate the events.

Staff members and students jumped in to help pack 11,500 meals at the Children's Village. Over 40 people participated, including former Extollo employees who built the village.

Some of the meals packed will feed the kids at the Children's Village while others will be sent to villages in the mountains, previously home for many of the kids.

The multi-purpose building, where meals are prepared and served to over 80 children at the orphanage, proved the perfect space to hold the event.

Using Kids Against Hunger ingredients, a hot lunch was prepared for everyone who helped out with the packing event.

Institution Guerrier Packing Event, Feb 19

Up the street from the Children's Village is K-12 school, Institution Guerrier, lead by Pastor Benis. For the past couple of years, Institution Guerrier has been using KAH food as part of their school lunch program. For many of Pastor Benis' students who live in the mountains, this is their only meal of the day. The 11,800 meal packing event was a community effort attended by teachers, parents and leaders from eight remote villages that send their students to the school.

This village leader brings food back to his community by motorcyle, Haitian-style.

A HUGE thanks goes to Amy Van Horn and Michael Elola for their leadership of these events. We also want to thank Gianni Schell, Jonathan Parr, Carlos Joinville, Mackenson Louijean, Emmanuel Fongene and Craig & Renee Janofski for making these events possible!

Haitians Helping Haitians through Kids Against Hunger Packing Events