Maple Ridge Center hosts Mennonite Mobile Meat Cannery

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LOWVILLE — Maple Ridge Center hosted the Mennonite Central Committee Mobile Meat Cannery April 12 and 13. The center had a continuous flow of 50 to 60 volunteers both days. For the evening hours, sign-up sheets showed more than 80 volunteers scheduled at any given time.

“People always want to serve, but they don’t always see the opportunity,” Ben Fouse, a member of Maple Ridge’s MCC Committee, said. “This service project allows the local effort to reach out and touch that global need.”

The MCC “cannery on wheels” travels across the United States and Canada, working with local volunteers to tackle the widespread need for protein. It donates 10 percent of the canned meat to the volunteering area. It then ships the remaining meat to hungry families in the U.S., Canada and around the world.

“We just came in this morning, got our aprons and hairnets on and got to work,” volunteer Rick Beyer said. Other volunteers echoed the same attitude.

“The purpose is worthwhile,” volunteer Jim Deavers said. “We have to remember that there are still people hungry in this country.”

Volunteers signed up to cut and stir the meat, fill, weigh and stack the cans, and to wash, label and box the cans. Other volunteers donated baked goods, cheese and crackers for workers to eat throughout the days of canning.

Volunteers spoke about why they stepped up to help. “It is worth it because it is a rewarding feeling to help people,” said Lisa Schamback. “I just don’t think people should go to bed hungry,” Linda Lawton said. “It is worth it because it benefits people who are hungry,” Janet Beck added.

Each of the three women had been working at the operation for four hours, with no sign of slowing down.

This was the first time the cannery operation has visited Lowville. The goal for the inaugural visit was to process 14,000 pounds — or 8,000 cans — of turkey during a day and a half of operation.

The operation was well toward its goal, Mr. Fouse said during their first day. They already had 8,000 pounds of meat cut, with four hours still left that day to can.

“We are going to have to slow people down, because the volunteers are ahead of schedule and we don’t want the meat to sit while we catch up,” Larry Herr, Maple Ridge MCC Committee member, said. “It’s all just running like clockwork.”

John Hillegass, the Mennonite Central Committee canning and trucking manager, said he was impressed with the Lewis County turnout.

“You would never know that this is the first time they did it here,” he said. “There are so many people here and there is so much interest — it’s just amazing to see.”

The Maple Ridge Center invited volunteers to also bring canned goods to donate to the Lewis County Food Pantries, where the MCC will be donating canned meat.

Connie Boshart was one volunteer who came in with a bag of canned goods in tow. When asked why she brought them, she said, “because there are people who need them. Because I care.”

The two days of canning required approximately $40,000 in operating costs. Keith Zehr, the director of the Maple Ridge Center, said that this amount covers everything: cans, boxes, diesel for the truck and even the sheet metal that volunteers put up in the center to prepare the building for sanitary health standards.

The Maple Ridge Center purchased its own supplies, provided the facility and hosted “The Cannery Boys,” who travel with the Mobile Meat Cannery, helping the cause.

“It says a lot about the community — that our community would invest $40,000 in this,” Mr. Deavers said.

The Maple Ridge Center also held a comforter tying and quilting event in conjunction with the meat canning. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, volunteers tied comforters, quilted and brought their own sewing machines so that they could finish the comforters.

“MCC is a relief organization,” Mr. Herr said. “They realize that food isn’t the only need.”

Volunteer Linda O’Leary arrived at 5:30 a.m. and worked until 9:30 a.m. She went to work at the Lowville Food Pantry and returned to the center at 1:30 p.m. to do more. “I worked on everything today, from cutting chicken to labeling to preparing snacks,” she said. “I’ll be back again tomorrow at 5:30 a.m. to do more.”

With such success and such an outpouring of volunteers, Mr. Zehr said, organizers anticipate continuing the event for years to come.

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