Kids Against Hunger

Yesterday I got to go to Mankato with a new friend and witness a Kids Against Hunger packing event in action. The Crow River Good Samaritan RV Club had raised $447.12, enough to package 9 boxes or 1944 meals. These high protein, fully-nutritional meals, will be sent to places where people are dying of starvation.

In America, I don’t think we really understand what starvation is like. I know I don’t. Just as I can surf through dozens of channels, and say, “There’s nothing to watch,” I can look at my overflowing pantry and still think, “There’s nothing to eat around here.” In a word, we’re spoiled.

In all my 45 years, I have never been without food. From the day I was born to today I’ve had more than enough to keep me going. And because I’ve never been really, truly hungry, I don’t realize how blessed I am not to have to worry about feeding myself or my family. Sure, I say my table prayers, but that’s too often motivated by habit, and not real gratitude.

But it is a blessing – a huge one. And not everyone in the world has that blessing. Whether it’s the result of poverty, drought, war, or disaster, people are starving. And whatever the causes, it’s not the children’s fault.

The guy who runs the Mankato satellite put it this way. Cancer kills thousands of people every day. But there’s no cure for cancer. Starvation also kills thousands of people every day. But there is a cure for starvation. Food. So why aren’t we able to give the hungry what they need to survive? We can. And organizations like Kids Against Hunger are!

It’s simple really. Local groups schedule a Kids Against Hunger packing event. Then the groups work to raise money. When the packing day arrives, they turn in the money they’ve collected and pack as much food as that money will buy. Then Kids Against Hunger sends the packaged food to where it is needed most. Often the packages are sent by Navy, Air Force, or USAID agencies at no cost. And finally, the food is distributed by non-government charity organizations already working in areas of greatest need. So far Kids Against Hunger has provided over 162 million meals for children and their families in more than 60 countries using this simple, yet effective method.

Obviously, I think what Kids Against Hunger is doing is really amazing. So when I heard there was interest in bringing a satellite here to New Ulm, I decided to do what I could to help. The new friend I mentioned earlier is donating a building for us to use. A local law firm has donated the $8,000 to purchase the Kids Against Hunger start up kit. Dozens of others from the community have attended our first few organizational meetings and an operating board has been formed. We’ll have our first official board meeting on Thursday.

In short, things are going very well, and it’s exciting to be a part of it.

If you’d like to learn more I encourage you to google Kids Against Hunger. Or search for Kids Against Hunger videos at YouTube. There are lots of them. Here’s one I found that shows what it’s like to be part of a packing event.

And finally, let me know if you want to help in any way. Each meal costs only 23¢. That’s a pretty small amount to give a child a full tummy, and a future.