Local Coalition Combats Hunger Through Rotary Peace Project

McKENZIE (June 13) — Four hundred local residents received hot, nutritious meals on Saturday, June 13, as the McKenzie Rotary Club, the Webb Alumni Association, and a coalition of local partner churches hosted a successful Free Community Feeding event.

The collaborative effort brought together assistance from Overflow, McKenzie Church of Christ, Greater Enon Baptist Church, and Smyrna Baptist Church to serve the community. The meals, consisting of spaghetti, salad, bread, bottled water, and dessert, were prepared at the Webb School. In addition to serving walk-in recipients, volunteers delivered packaged lunches directly to area residents and local first responders, including the Huntingdon Police Department and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department.

The feeding is a hallmark of the McKenzie Rotary Club’s local "Peace Project," spearheaded by club member Kim Bell-Webb.

It is recognized for its massive humanitarian efforts—such as the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which has protected over two billion children from the disease, it supports the local service clubs, such as McKenzie, that brings that commitment to service to a hyper-local level.

By addressing food insecurity, the local Peace Project aligns with the broader Rotary philosophy that hunger, poverty, and poor health are primary drivers of instability and conflict within any society. The project has already garnered support from the broader community, including a recent donation from the chaplaincy at Baptist Hospital-Carroll County to assist in providing food and support for those in times of need.

This is a year-round initiative. Bell-Webb, noting that the project goes beyond mass feedings to provide boxed food for those facing food insecurity throughout the year.

This grassroots approach echoes the Rotary Foundation’s founding principle of "doing good in the world," which encourages clubs to identify specific needs in their neighborhoods and take action to provide lasting solutions.

The club is already looking ahead to its next major event. Bell-Webb announced that the next community feeding is October 1, which will feature a mass feeding event in downtown McKenzie.

Those interested in supporting the McKenzie Rotary Club’s ongoing community efforts or learning more about how local Rotarians and members of the Peace Project are working to improve the quality of life in McKenzie are encouraged to contact club members.

McKenzie Rotary Club meets each Tuesday at noon at the Vera Low Center on the campus of Bethel University.