Million-meal march: Volunteers gather to fight world hunger

Cape La Croix Church and a small army of volunteers worked much of the weekend packing meals to be distributed by Feed My Starving Children, a not-for-profit group dedicated to fighting world hunger.

Organizer Linda Watts said with a goal of 1 million meals packed from Friday to Sunday, the La Croix Church operation has come a long way since it began working with Feed My Starving Children nearly a decade ago.

Though their early quotas were smaller all those years ago, the support from the congregation always has been enthusiastic, she said.

"We were overwhelmed at how people stepped up," she said.

The support has expanded, with support coming from other community organizations. Boy Scouts, area high-school students and even the Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball squad were on hand Saturday -- all part of about 3,600 hairnet-wearing volunteers who packed rice, soy, vitamins and vegetables into meals to be shipped around the world.

Adults and children alike helped seal meals Sunday at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau during the annual Feed My Starving Children volunteer effort.Tyler Graef

Feed My Starving Children event supervisor Alyssa Burdett said her organization relies on volunteer operations such as La Croix Church's, because 90 percent of the money the not-for-profit makes goes to the feeding program.

Watts said one of the meals packed this weekend will mark the 5 millionth prepared by La Croix Church volunteers.

"The need this year is huge ... well, because it's always huge," she said. "We don't know where in particular the food we pack will end up, but it goes where the greatest need is at the moment."

Places such as Haiti, Guatemala and Swaziland, where La Croix Church has mission partners.

"Knowing our hands were the last to touch the boxes is pretty cool," Watts said.

A volunteer helps pack meals Sunday at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau during the annual Feed My Starving Children effort.Tyler Graef

Some of the volunteers had seen firsthand the difference meals make on the ground while on previous mission trips.

Adam Newman, one of the men at the boxing station near the back of the Osage Centre, went on a mission trip to Haiti in 2013.

"I find it unacceptable for someone to go hungry," he said. "It seems like an issue in our world that is easily solvable."

Rhonda Knepp and her daughter, Kaylen, also had distributed the food on mission trips.

"When you see kids eating the food like birds that have never eaten, they get so excited," Kaylen said. "It's so important."

They had come to volunteer, even though they have moved to St. Louis.

"It still has a special place in our hearts, and so we're here to do whatever's needed," Rhonda said.

They said it had changed the way they view their day-to-day mindsets after returning home.

"To watch them share with each other, even though they are starving in a way we've never known," Kaylen said. "They're much more joyful than we are."

"They have much less," Rhonda agreed. "And yet they're much more joyful."

"Closer to God," said fellow volunteer Judy Wilferth, who also had seen distributed Feed My Starving Children meals on another mission trip, as had her husband, Rock.

"This is a contagious thing," he said of the food-packing events. "People bring their friends, and I want to come. I want to be there."

tgraef@semissourian.com

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