Two Williamsport churches are inviting the community to turn compassion into action this holiday season by helping pack more than 100,000 meals for children facing hunger worldwide. City Church and City Alliance Church will host the Feed My Starving Children Meals of Hope MobilePack on December 4-5, 2026, at City Church, 36 East Fourth Street in downtown Williamsport. Organizers are seeking volunteers, donors, sponsors, schools, businesses, churches, civic groups, and families from across Lycoming County and neighboring communities.
The event builds on last year’s MobilePack, when volunteers packed 82,000 meals despite a short planning window. With more time to prepare and broader community support, this year’s goal is to exceed 100,000 meals while raising $30,000 to cover ingredients and production. Each meal costs approximately 29 cents. A $10 donation provides about 34 meals, while about $106 provides one meal a day for a child for a year. Organizers emphasize that every contribution, whether a handful of coins or a major sponsorship, moves the project closer to its goal.
Feed My Starving Children is a Christian nonprofit founded in 1987 to combat childhood hunger through nutritious meal production and global partnerships. During MobilePack events, local volunteers work in assembly lines to measure ingredients, fill and seal bags, assemble boxes, and prepare meals for shipment. The meals are distributed through established humanitarian partners to children in need. No previous experience is required, however, as FMSC staff provide instructions and guide participants through each role.
“We’re so excited to partner with City Alliance Church again this year,” said Amber Newell, City Church office administrator and event co-host. “Our hope is to pack more than 100,000 meals for children around the world,” Newell said. Work such as scooping ingredients, labeling bags, or packing boxes might appear simple, but each task connects volunteers with children and families in need. At last year’s event, volunteers prayed over completed pallets, recognizing that every box represented real people and the possibility of a healthier future.
That purpose became especially obvious when participants heard about Wayne Andrei, a child in the Philippines who weighed just 22 pounds at age nine because of severe malnourishment and could neither walk nor talk. After his family began receiving FMSC meals, he gained 12 pounds in ten weeks. At age ten, he walked for the first time, and reliable access to nutritious meals continued to support his progress. For Newell, the story showed how a small act performed in Williamsport can become part of a life-changing story across the world.
Young people from both churches are already contributing. During Vacation Bible School, City Alliance Church challenged children to support other children worldwide and raised more than $1,000 for the MobilePack. City Church’s children’s ministry, City Kidz, is continuing the effort through its Change for Change initiative, inviting children and families to collect coins throughout November. Because a meal costs less than 30 cents, spare change can quickly add up. The projects also give families a practical way to talk with children about generosity, compassion, and service.
Local businesses, schools, organizations, and individuals are also encouraged to sponsor the event. Lycoming College has joined as the first sponsor at the Child Sponsor level. Additional sponsors may contribute at available recognition levels or give any amount. Employers can organize workplace fundraisers, match employee gifts, or register teams to volunteer together. Organizers say financial support is as important as hands-on participation because donations purchase the ingredients that volunteers will pack.
The weekend schedule includes unloading from 2 to 3 p.m. and setup from 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday, December 4, followed by a meal-packing session from 6 to 8 p.m. On Saturday, December 5, meal-packing sessions will run from 9 to 11 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m. Cleanup is scheduled from 2 to 4:30 p.m., with a building reset from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Advance registration is strongly recommended because volunteer spaces are limited.
A variety of assignments are available. Volunteers who prefer seated work can label bags with nutrition information and dates. Others can scoop ingredients, hold bags, weigh portions, seal packages, assemble boxes, or pack finished meals. Stronger volunteers are needed to unload supplies and move materials, while setup and cleanup crews will prepare and restore the building. Families, friends, students, church groups, civic organizations, and workplace teams can participate together. Organizers stress that every role contributes to moving meals one step closer to children who need them.
Newell said service can also shape the person who volunteers. Her own experience at a similar event in college helped set her on a path toward nonprofit work and eventually church ministry. She hopes this MobilePack will give others the same opportunity to discover how saying yes to one practical act of service can deepen compassion and encourage continued involvement in the community.
The timing at the beginning of Advent adds another layer of meaning for the host churches. Organizers see the event as a way to reflect on Christ’s example of love and service by meeting a tangible need. At the same time, the invitation extends beyond church members. Anyone who wants to contribute to a shared community effort is welcome. By working side by side, participants can build connections with neighbors while helping address severe hunger around the world.
Community members can support Meals of Hope by volunteering, donating, sponsoring, organizing a group, or sharing information about the event. Donations may be made at https://give.fmsc.org/campaign/2612-127mi-williamsport-pa-meals-of-hope/c756133. To register for a shift, visit http://www.fmsc.org and search for the Williamsport Meals of Hope MobilePack, event number 2612-127MI.
Questions about volunteering, donations, sponsorships, or group participation may be directed to event host Steve Chapple of City Alliance Church at (908) 914-7974 or steve@cityalliance.org, or event co-host Amber Newell of City Church at (570) 323-9847 or amber@citychurchpa.org. Together, the churches hope the MobilePack will demonstrate what can happen when a community unites around generosity and service, and that simple actions can become thousands of meals for children around the world.
