OWATONNA — Once again this year, hundreds of local volunteers came to pack meals for starving children Friday, and they are scheduled to be back at it again Saturday at St. John Lutheran Church.
This is the sixth year for Owatonna’s MobilePack. Feed My Starving Children has provided millions of inexpensive and nutritious meals to children in more than 70 countries since it was founded in 1987.
Feed My Starving Children, a Christian non-profit, has seven permanent packing sites, including three in Minnesota — in Chanhassen, Eagan and Coon Rapids — where packing occurs six days per week, but roughly a quarter of the meals the organization sends out annually come from mobile packing sites like the one in Owatonna, said the organization’s Manny Kuphal. There will be a total of 300 mobile packing sites in 2016 with a goal of packing 295 million meals. The original goal was 280 million, but due to hurricane devastation in Haiti, more food than expected is necessary this year.
Lately, many of the packs have been going to Haiti, so “there’s a decent chance these will, too,” he said. The meals are simple but effective, comprised of rice, soy protein, dehydrated vegetables and a vitamin mixture.
More than 500 children will be fed for a year with the food packed in Owatonna Friday and Saturday, said Kaye Wattermann, project coordinator.
“We always fill all five sessions. People want to get in,” she said. “I think they have fun; there’s lots of energy, and they enjoy being able to do something to help others,” she added. “People feel they are making a difference, and when they leave, they know how many kids they’ve fed for a year.”
“Our goal is 175,000 meals [this weekend],” she said. “We will get that done.”
Yolanda Leader was helping pack this year for the first time after her workplace, Jostens, asked for volunteers, she said.
“It filled up in a matter of moments, so there are lots of us here today,” she said.
“I would definitely do it again because it’s well-organized and put together; they make it run smoothly,” she added. “Everyone should be able to go to bed at night without being hungry.
Early Friday afternoon, sixth graders from St. Mary’s school were assisting in the packing.
The school has made a habit of this with students in grades five and six, said Gaye McCann, a sixth-grade teacher. “It’s all about service.”
“This is awesome,” said student Alex Alanis. “I feel great we’re here to give food to kids.”
One of his fellow students, Kalina Boubin, concurred. “It’s really cool that we’re here to help children, some our own age,” Boubin said.
Having students help pack is “very cool,” Kuphal said. “They’re working really hard, and they’re very well-behaved, which is not always the case with kids.
“Probably my favorite part of the job is watching people understand they can make a difference. We feed kids, but we also feed the spirits of those stateside.”