The 2016 Rock Area Kids Against Hunger Food Packing Event will be from 9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, through 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, in the Luverne High School gym.
Students from four area school districts, community members, faith community members, leaders, businesses and others will pack food for the local food banks and for people around the world.
“Our goal is to collect more than our $26,000 last year and pack more than 135,000 meals and have more than 1,000 volunteers,” said Kids Against Hunger volunteer Dorie Hall, pastor at United Methodist Church in Luverne.
“It’s been an amazing experience … All of us on the committee get excited to see how this event has grown and the impact it has on everyone, not only on those who receive the meals, but on those who participate and come together to work to stop hunger all over the world.”
She said it has especially had an impact on the student volunteers.
“The way it touches our kids has been the most special,” Hall said.
“When we hear them talk about what they’re doing for other kids, when they step into that gym to pack, their eyes light up. It has become so important for them to be a part of this, to know that they are helping other kids like them — it matters.”
Hall said the effort requires both money and workers.
“It is important to pay for every meal we pack, so if you cannot help pack, you can help fund purchasing the individual ingredients to pack each meal.”
Donations can be sent to Rock County Ministerial Association (the sponsoring organization) attention George Bonnema, Kids Against Hunger, 304 N. Fairview Dr., Luverne, MN 56156.
She said $50 pays for one box of food that feeds 216 children; $150 buys three boxes that feed 648 children; $500 feeds 2,138 children.
“We have the ability to pack up to 10 boxes an hour, which translates into $500 per hour,” Hall said.
Volunteers are needed to pack meals, and teams of packers are encouraged to sign up to help between 9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, and 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30
“We will have various shifts available,” said Hall, who can be reached at 507-920-5278 or at the church office, 283-4529.
“This is a great team-building event for any business or organization and a great way to help those in need.”
Kids Against Hunger ships meals to starving children and their families in over 60 countries through partnerships with humanitarian organizations worldwide.
The meals have been formulated by food scientists to provide a rich source of easily digestible protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins needed by a malnourished child’s body and mind. The food also accommodates a broad diversity of ethnic tastes and religious differences around the world.
It is made from four readily available, dry ingredients that are easy to package, keep for long periods, and require only boiling with water to prepare.
More information is at kidsagainsthunger.org and the local group’s Facebook page at RockAreaKidsAgainstHunger.
Other local committee members are Katie Baustian, Becky Ossefort, Marie Atkinson-Smeins, Pastor Kristi Franken and Stacy Schepel, plus members of the Luverne High School Student Council.