Online sign-ups for the sixth annual Lancaster County Feed My Starving Children MobilePack will begin on Friday, Feb. 15. Volunteers may sign up for two-hour shifts that will be available from Friday, March 29, through Sunday, March 31, at Willow Street Mennonite Church, 399 E. Penn Grant Road, Willow Street.
During the event, the dry ingredients for 300,000 meals will be portioned and sealed into bags that will be sent to those in need around the world. It will take 1,500 volunteers and $66,000 to complete the project. The value of each meal is 22 cents, and volunteers are asked to contribute toward that cost. Donations from those who cannot help with the packing will be accepted as well.
Event chairperson Lora Magnus Wenger shared that according to Feed My Starving Children, approximately 6,200 children around the world die each day from hunger and malnutrition-related causes. "As a community, we have the opportunity to do something to help alleviate this suffering," Wenger said. "Last year, our community packed its 1 millionth meal. Over the last five years, more than 5,000 volunteers came together to pack meals that went to those most in need in Somalia, Belize, Haiti, Malawi, and the Dominican Republic. Though this is an awesome milestone, hunger and malnutrition continue to exist, so as a community we need to continue to work to combat it."
Food insecurity is not just a problem "over there," but it is a local one as well, Wenger said. In addition to monetary contributions, volunteers are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items to the packing event. The items will then be delivered to the Lancaster County Council of Churches Food Hub. The food bank has requested the following items: one-pound containers of peanut butter; canned salmon, chicken, or tuna; one-pound bags of rice; canned potatoes; 12-ounce boxes of pasta or macaroni and cheese; and pouch meals, such as "helper" boxes.
There will be a variety of tasks at the packing event, and people of all ages and abilities are welcome to participate. Some jobs will require lifting, while others may be done while seated. Training will be provided, and participants will learn about the impact Feed My Starving Children has on those it services. However one serves, it is a valuable event in which to take part, Wenger suggested.
"Volunteering at a MobilePack is worthwhile on many levels," Wenger remarked. "It brings our community together to make a positive difference in the world, it teaches all of us to have more compassion for those in need and to do something about it, and it allows us to use our blessings to bless others, resulting in us being blessed through the process."
To reserve a time slot to serve, beginning on Feb. 15, folks may visit https://give.fmsc.org/willowstreet. Those who would like to make a financial contribution may visit that page at any time.
For more information about the MobilePack event, readers may contact Wenger at lmw4fmsc@gmail.com or call the church at 717-464-2422.
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