INDIAN SPRINGS VILLAGE – More than 60,000 people will be fed thanks to the combined effort of four area Episcopal churches.

A meal packaging event benefitting those in need through the Rise Against Hunger organization was held on Saturday, Aug. 18 at the Episcopal Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Indian Springs Village, according to the Rev. Eric Mancil of St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church in Chelsea.

Other partner churches were Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit in Alabaster and Episcopal Church of the Holy Apostles in Hoover.

Mancil said 10,152 bags were packaged, and each bag feeds six people.

The event marked the first time the local parishes had participated in a Rise Against Hunger effort.

“We’ll have parishioners from all four churches coming together to do this event,” Mancil said. “We don’t really do many outreach ministries together, and we thought this was a good opportunity. I reached out to all the pastors, and they all loved the idea and agreed to come together and do it.”

The meal packaging was held at St. Francis because the facility was best suited for the large group of about 80 people to work.

Rise Against Hunger representatives set up for the event around 8 a.m. on Aug. 18, and volunteers packaged meals from 9-11 a.m. after receiving instructions.

The non-perishable, pre-measured meals are eventually shipped across the world to schools, orphanages, hospital and similar organizations, with participants receiving notice where their meals are sent.

“They pack as much as they possibly can into one bag,” Mancil said.

Part of participation in the effort includes a financial donation. The goal set by the four churches was to generate a total of $3,000 to contribute.

Rise Against Hunger’s goal is to end food insecurity around the world by 2030.