Feed My Starving Children food-packing event open for donations and registration.
A few hours is roughly the time it takes to watch a movie or grab dinner with a friend; however, it also provides enough time to help save a child’s life. With registration opening at the beginning of the month, residents are encouraged to sign up and spend two hours helping pack meals for children in developing countries at the It Takes a Village — Feed My Starving Children food-packing event April 20–22.
The national faith-based organization Feed My Starving Children assists in feeding people in more than 70 underdeveloped countries around the world, with volunteers in cities all over the U.S.
For the first time ever, Haddonfield Council of Churches will host its annual food-packing event at the Cherry Hill National Guard Armory, where residents from all around Camden County will gather to pack meals.
Normally, the food-packing event takes place in the Haddonfield Middle School gymnasium, however, due to the school’s ongoing construction, the event has been moved to the armory. With an increase in space both inside and around the building, Gerry Nanos, a coordinator for the event, believes this will work out perfectly and provide more room for Feed My Starving Children’s mobile packing trucks to easily drop off supplies, in addition to having more parking spaces for volunteers.
“The armory just seemed like the perfect spot,” Nanos said.
Participating three times to help pack food, Nanos encourages residents in Camden County to spend a few hours with other volunteers to help pack bags with a combination of rice, dehydrated vegetables, vitamins and minerals to be shipped off to schools, orphanages and remote villages of developing nations.
“You are actually hands-on and doing something, and this is going to end up in the hands of people it can do good for,” Nanos said. “The other thing is that it is a lot of fun.”
Although the sixth annual food-packing event is expected to be an exciting experience this year, for many, it also allows for volunteers to also have an introspective and powerful experience, knowing they are helping to save a child’s life. During the process, strangers soon become friends as they work together to pack meals.
In previous years, packaged food has been shipped all over the world, including Swaziland, Haiti, Somalia and South Africa. This year’s location will not be determined until after the event, according to Nanos. Approximately 92 percent of every dollar donated to Feed My Starving Children goes to the food program.
“Participants have a great time,” said Gerry Rice, chairman of the event. “It feels like a party.”
This year, Rice and those who support the event hope to pack more than 500,000 meals, a 143,408 increase over last year. The group needs all of the support of the community to achieve that goal, according to Rice.
“It’s important for people to participate in the food packing because our goal is to pack half a million meals, and we need help,” Rice said “There is a meaningful job for everyone, strong young athletes and great grandmas all have a vital role to play.”
Participation is just as important as donating, Rice explained. She said each meal costs 22 cents but with a goal of 500,000 meals, this would cost more than $100,000, with each person packing $50 worth of food.
“We don’t charge admission, we rely on donations,” Rice said.
For registration or donations, visit www.ittakesavillage-fmsc.com. Residents of Haddonfield and the surrounding communities are encouraged to lend a hand and participate. Children ages 5 and up are welcome to join in giving their support also, but must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The event will take place on all weekend starting on Friday, April 20 through Sunday, April 22.
