Packing Event • Nov 19-21, 2009

2008-12-03T07:06:00.001-08:00

The Feed My Starving Children Packing Event on November 19-21 will be a wonderful opportunity for volunteers to join together to hand-pack ONE MILLION meals, which will be used to feed starving children around the world. That's enough to feed 2,740 kids for a year!!!

To make this event successful, we will need to raise $170,000 to purchase the ingredients, and we will need almost 5,000 volunteers to help pack these meal packets at 4 different locations throughout the valley. We estimate that each volunteer will pack approximately $40 worth of food, so any donation that our volunteers can make would be greatly appreciated.

Packing Sessions at Peace Lutheran
18265 N 89 Avenue (just south of Union Hills Road on 89th Avenue)
Thursday
1:30 - 3:30 PM
4:00 - 6:00 PM
6:30 - 8:30 PM

Friday
9:00 - 11:00 AM
4:00 - 6:00 PM
6:30 - 8:30 PM

Saturday
9:00 - 11:00 AM
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
2:00 - 4:00 PM

There are three ways to register:
a) click on this link for online registration: Peace Luth Registration
b) email isaiah6-8@cox.net
c) call Dale at 623.544.9146

Registration is on a first-come, first served basis. Some of the packing sessions will fill up quickly, so register soon...especially if you are planning to bring a group of family or friends with you!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q - What goes into each meal pack?
A - The food mixture was formulated by Minnesota food scientists to address the needs of children suffering from malnourishment. Each cup of FMSC food per day provides the nutrients a child needs to survive and thrive: rice, extruded soy nuggets, 20 vitamins and minerals in a vegetarian chicken flavoring, and dehydrated vegetables. The recipients just need to add boiling water to prepare the food.

Q - Why should I be expected to donated $40 per person so I can volunteer? I could pack food at the food bank for free!
A - We are counting on our volunteers to help raise the money for FMSC to purchase the ingredients that we'll be packing during this event. Local food banks receive food donations from a number of sources, so even though they also need financial support to provide assistance for needy families, they are not as dependent on their volunteers to provide that support.

Q - I can't afford a $40 per-person suggested contribution. Can I still be part of the event?
A - Absolutely! Whatever amount you can afford to donate would be greatly appreciated as we try to raise $170,000 for the cost of the food we'll be packing. However, even if you can't afford to donate anything, we would love to have you come to help pack food.

Q - Do you have any suggestions for raising the $40 donation that is expected from each volunteer?
A - Glad you asked....we have lots of suggestions:

MINI M&M TUBES: Fill one tube with $14 worth of quarters (enough to feed 82 children for a day), fill 3 tubes and you’ve raised $42!
PAY IN CASH: Pay for everything you can in cash for the next 7 weeks, keep the change in a jar; it adds up quickly!
SPONSORSHIPS: Ask friends, family, classmates and co-workers to sponsor you for this event with a per hour donation (tax-deductible checks can be made payable to Peace Lutheran Church...be sure to write FMSC in the memo line).
MATCHING FUNDS: Intel will pay $10 for each volunteer hour their employees provide, all you have to do is sign up on the Intel list when you check in at the event. Check to see if your company offers this as well!
HUNGER JAR or SPECIAL DONATION: Ask your church, class, club, office or any organization you’re involved in to take up a donation for FMSC. There are videos and fliers available to help you in making a presentation to your group.
SKIP THE SODA: When you eat out, drink water instead of soda and put the savings in your “donation jar.”
RICE FOR DINNER: Serve your family only rice for dinner one night and gain a better understanding of what a meal is like for many hungry families around the world. Put the money you saved on that meal toward your donation.

Q - What work will I be doing during the event?
A - Our volunteers will be packing bags of food in an assembly line:

measuring ingredients
pouring ingredients into bags
weighing bags
sealing and labelling bags
boxing food to be shipped
loading boxes onto pallets

Q - Where does the food go?
A - The food is shipped to Christian and humanitarian relief organizations who partner with FMSC to deliver the food to children around the world. The impact is miraculous. The story of Murana in Haiti is just an example. When she arrived at a Haitian orphanage, she was a 6 year old girl who weighed just 15 pounds. After eating FMSC food for 3 months, she is again happy and healthy and has a smile that lights up a room!

Q - You said there are 4 packing events happening at the same time. Where are the other 3?
A - The northwest valley packing event will be held at Peace Lutheran Church, and that is the one that we are sponsoring. The address is 18265 N 89 Ave (south of Union Hills Road on 89th Avenue). The other locations are: Desert Cross Lutheran Church in Tempe, Esperanza Lutheran Church in Ahwatukee, and La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church in Scottsdale. For more information about these other events, email Janine at azskinners@cox.net