Feeding the hungry

Earlier this month, more than 2,600 volunteers gathered at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau to pack meals to be delivered to hungry children in needy areas. The two-day event, sponsored by La Croix Church, is connected with Feed My Starving Children, a Christian-based organization that distributes the food.

If you were not at this event, we encourage you to check out the photo gallery at semissourian.com/multimedia. This was an impressive display of compassion.

While the volunteers are in large part connected to La Croix, many other community and school groups, plus members of other local churches, also participated. In fact, more people than could be accommodated sought to volunteer. Thanks to the coordinated effort, 520,992 meals were packed -- enough to feed 1,427 children for a year.

The volunteer turnout was stunning. But it takes more than volunteers to make this possible. Though the meals are economical, an event of this size requires more than $100,000 in donations. Members of La Croix and others have generously given in the past to make events like this possible. The church receives most of the funds through an offering collected at its Christmas Eve services.

If you haven't done so already, we encourage you to consider how you can support this cause. For those who can't make it to one of La Croix's Christmas Eve services, donations can be made online at www.lacroixchurch.org or mailed to the church.

Scripture tells us to feed the hungry and take care of the poor. The volunteers and those who donated to this cause, and others like it, are to be commended for their generosity and willingness to help those who have little.