Feeding Starving Children At Gardner Village
Over the weekend I was part of 1,400 volunteers who assembled and packed around 430,000 meals for starving people around the world. Gardner Village in West Jordan partnered with a charity called Feed My Starving Children, and turned its Gathering Place event center into a meal packing site.
Volunteers could register for several different two-hour shifts on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I signed up for a Friday evening session, and took the duty of labeling meal bags. While labeling, I was able to talk to Angie Gerdes, president and co-owner of Gardner Village and one of the event organizers. Angie became excited about the program while participating in a past meal-packing event. When she heard that other organizers had to pay $2,000 to use a school for a meal-packing event, she offered Gardner Village’s Gathering Place, free of charge. That way, more money could go to produce the meals, instead of paying for a venue. It’s usually used for wedding receptions and other events, but this weekend it was arranged with assembly stations, ingredients and measuring cups.
Angie said the ingredients for each MannaPack meal feeds a child for a day for a mere 29 cents; or $106 to feed a child for a whole year; or $424 for a family of four.
The MannaPack meals are a special blend of rice, textured soy protein, dehydrated vegetables, and vitamins and minerals. They are designed to provide a nutritious meal for children facing malnutrition. MannaPack meals are culturally neutral and can be adapted with local ingredients to suit different regions. So it’s a very practical way to try to help those who are suffering from lack of food.
I’m thinking that with some of the things going on in the world, including USAID being cut off, this kind of help will be even more sorely needed.
I arrived not knowing anyone else at the event. But it wasn’t long before I became acquainted with the people I was working with side-by-side. Ages of volunteers ranged for grandparents to young kids, and a lot of teens. I noticed families, with kids maybe 8-9 years old working along side their parents and siblings.
While everyone worked fast and kept filling the bags and boxes, there was a fun spirit of camaraderie. Background music was cranked up with a variety of upbeat tunes, from Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” to Billy Joel, the Backstreet Boys, and current artists that I didn’t recognize (but the younger workers did!). “Hit Me Baby One More Time” became a sing-along, with everyone jumping in for the chorus.
It was pretty amazing how much was accomplished in a two-hour shift. After the cleanup, we were invited to participate in a group prayer over the food, that it would get to those who need it. The meals go out to schools, orphanages, and feeding programs around the globe. Angie said Feed My Starving Children has a great amount of accountability to make sure the food actually gets to the intended people.
To find a future meal-packing event near you, or to organize one, or to donate, check https://www.fmsc.org/
