Sporadic hooting and hollering was coming from inside the Murrysville Christian Concern’s new community building in Export early Saturday, as a group of more than 200 volunteers adorned in blue hairnets scooped, measured and packaged oatmeal kits.

The volunteers flanked long tables, which were lined with oatmeal, scales, funnels, toppings and stir-ins.

And every time they sealed another breakfast donation box closed, they erupted in cheers.

“Once it’s ready to seal, we do a countdown. We ‘3… 2… 1, woot!’” said Sara Tamburro of Plum, who was scooping oatmeal.

“We’re trying to win the most spirit award today,” she said jokingly.

The Amen to Action event was organized by Friends Thrift Shop, which provides low cost household items to the community in partnership with the Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation.

The volunteers packaged more than 60,000 dry meals that will be delivered to the Westmoreland Food Bank in Delmont and distributed throughout the county.

Daniel Plance, executive director of the non-profit Murrysville Christian Concern, said the morning’s event was one of four Amen to Action locations putting together meal kits for the day.

While they worked to put things together in Murrysville, other volunteers got to work in Washington, Allison Park and Pittsburgh to put together lunch and dinner kits.

“What’s really nice about this, the meals are made or packed here in Westmoreland County and they’re staying,” he said.

Each box contained 36 packs of oatmeal, which are designed to feed a group of four people. Along with oatmeal, the meal kits included sugar, apples, cinnamon, cinnamon and a vitamin supplement, which can be added to the oats.

Rev. Ed Gray, who is a pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Murrysville and president of Murrysville Christian Concern’s board of directors, said the morning’s event had such a large volunteer turnout that they ran out of parking. They had to shuttle people to and from surrounding churches in a borrowed van.

“I know probably half the people here and the other half I’ve never seen before,” said Joy Siegman, who is treasurer of Murrysville Christian Concern. “So that’s kind of nice (to) get our name out there and get to meet some new people.”

Carol Sachf, 51, of Delmont found Amen to Action through shopping at the Friends Thrift Shop, which is located next to the community center.

Sachf rolled up her sleeves and carefully weighed out each packet.

“For me personally, we live in a world where we never need or want for anything. So it’s really important to teach my daughter, too, that she’s really lucky,” Tamburro said about her 12-year-old daughter.

“We need to be able to help people that need help, because at some point in your life you’re going to need help,” she said.

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