MCC meat canning days in Berlin comes off without a hitch (thankfully)
It brings people plenty of joy to volunteer, but it adds to the enjoyment when things go according to plan.
Henry Hershberger and the rest of the Holmes-Tuscarawas MCC meat canning board members won’t forget the meat canning events of 2011.
Hopefully, they will not forget the MCC meat canning days of 2012, but with any luck, they will remember this year’s event because they helped feed the masses around the world, and not because of the near misfortunes they went through like they did a year ago.
In Berlin from Jan. 31-Feb. 2, the Mennonite Central Committee roaming meat canning team, the Holmes-Tuscarawas MCC board and the many volunteers for meat canning days went about business as usual, something that wasn’t the case last year. That meant that this year’s three-day meat canning event was a welcomed relief for everyone who worked long into the night to get the turkey done last year, when they cranked out 17,000 pounds of turkey, just like they had the year prior. However, last year they forgot that they had an additional day to get that extra 3,000 cans done in 2010.
Factor in that the electric went out due to an ice storm, and last year’s hectic pace was something that everyone involved would just as soon forget — except when it comes to scheduling for this year’s canning days.
“I guess we learned our lesson last year,” said Hershberger with a smile. “It was just one of those things where we followed what we did last year without giving it much thought. We thought about it this year.”
Thus, the board pared back the number of cans to around 14,000, which is still nearly one and one-half tons of turkey.
With the amount of meat back to normal, no power outages due to ice storms and no treacherous roads to deal with for the incoming volunteers because of major snowstorms, Hershberger said the three-day event ran along at an incredibly smooth clip this year.
“It was great,” said Hershberger of the flow of the meat canning days. “Everything ran like clockwork this year.”
Much of that can be attributed to the many volunteers who annually make the meat canning sessions possible.
Again, people came from near and far to help trim the fat, cut meat and get it into cans and on to the MCC truck.
From the board members, who are represented throughout the days, to the adult volunteers to the youth groups who come in after each day of work and help make the facility spick-and-span for the crew of volunteers to work the next morning, it is the presence of these faithful volunteers that makes the event possible.
“It just goes to show you how faithful people are to this mission outreach project,” said Hershberger. “This helps feed a lot of people around the world, and there are a lot of people here more than willing to donate their time to be a part of that process.”
This year’s traveling MCC meat canning crew, which drives the MCC turkey truck around the majority of the eastern half of the United States over a six-month span, included Jason Unruh, Ryan Lawrence and Josh Goessel, all from Kansas, and Loren Yoder and David Bricker from Pennsylvania.
Now in its 65th year of meat canning, MCC has done a remarkable job of feeding millions of hungry people worldwide.
The Mobile Meat Canner operates in 33 different locations across the United States and Canada, from October through May. More than 10,000 volunteers a year fill, weigh, stack, wash, and label every can. Over the 2010-2011 season, the collective efforts of all involved produced more than 500,000 cans, more than one million pounds of meat.
The finished product is shipped around the world, feeding hungry people, and investing in the future of those in need.
This year, the hard work of local volunteers saw an additional advantage come from their endeavor. A small portion of the meat could remain here locally, meaning that the Love Center Food Pantry and Holmes County Share-a-Christmas would be able to help in feeding hungry people in our area.
“It’s nice to see a little of it staying local,” said Hershberger. “It gives people a chance to see their hard work in action.”
So another MCC meat canning days is in the books, a success in every sense of the word, and the volunteers can even look back and remember it fondly for what it was designed, as a way of helping others and providing for those in need.
Henry Hershberger and the rest of the Holmes-Tuscarawas MCC meat canning board members won’t forget the meat canning events of 2011.
Hopefully, they will not forget the MCC meat canning days of 2012, but with any luck, they will remember this year’s event because they helped feed the masses around the world, and not because of the near misfortunes they went through like they did a year ago.
In Berlin from Jan. 31-Feb. 2, the Mennonite Central Committee roaming meat canning team, the Holmes-Tuscarawas MCC board and the many volunteers for meat canning days went about business as usual, something that wasn’t the case last year. That meant that this year’s three-day meat canning event was a welcomed relief for everyone who worked long into the night to get the turkey done last year, when they cranked out 17,000 pounds of turkey, just like they had the year prior. However, last year they forgot that they had an additional day to get that extra 3,000 cans done in 2010.
Factor in that the electric went out due to an ice storm, and last year’s hectic pace was something that everyone involved would just as soon forget — except when it comes to scheduling for this year’s canning days.
“I guess we learned our lesson last year,” said Hershberger with a smile. “It was just one of those things where we followed what we did last year without giving it much thought. We thought about it this year.”
Thus, the board pared back the number of cans to around 14,000, which is still nearly one and one-half tons of turkey.
With the amount of meat back to normal, no power outages due to ice storms and no treacherous roads to deal with for the incoming volunteers because of major snowstorms, Hershberger said the three-day event ran along at an incredibly smooth clip this year.
“It was great,” said Hershberger of the flow of the meat canning days. “Everything ran like clockwork this year.”
Much of that can be attributed to the many volunteers who annually make the meat canning sessions possible.
Again, people came from near and far to help trim the fat, cut meat and get it into cans and on to the MCC truck.
From the board members, who are represented throughout the days, to the adult volunteers to the youth groups who come in after each day of work and help make the facility spick-and-span for the crew of volunteers to work the next morning, it is the presence of these faithful volunteers that makes the event possible.
“It just goes to show you how faithful people are to this mission outreach project,” said Hershberger. “This helps feed a lot of people around the world, and there are a lot of people here more than willing to donate their time to be a part of that process.”
This year’s traveling MCC meat canning crew, which drives the MCC turkey truck around the majority of the eastern half of the United States over a six-month span, included Jason Unruh, Ryan Lawrence and Josh Goessel, all from Kansas, and Loren Yoder and David Bricker from Pennsylvania.
Now in its 65th year of meat canning, MCC has done a remarkable job of feeding millions of hungry people worldwide.
The Mobile Meat Canner operates in 33 different locations across the United States and Canada, from October through May. More than 10,000 volunteers a year fill, weigh, stack, wash, and label every can. Over the 2010-2011 season, the collective efforts of all involved produced more than 500,000 cans, more than one million pounds of meat.
The finished product is shipped around the world, feeding hungry people, and investing in the future of those in need.
This year, the hard work of local volunteers saw an additional advantage come from their endeavor. A small portion of the meat could remain here locally, meaning that the Love Center Food Pantry and Holmes County Share-a-Christmas would be able to help in feeding hungry people in our area.
“It’s nice to see a little of it staying local,” said Hershberger. “It gives people a chance to see their hard work in action.”
So another MCC meat canning days is in the books, a success in every sense of the word, and the volunteers can even look back and remember it fondly for what it was designed, as a way of helping others and providing for those in need.
Published: February 3, 2012
