Area volunteers help feed thousands

Thankfully, most in this country do not know starvation. Even the poorest in the United States would be considered well cared for in other countries, where poverty and starvation are catastrophic.

Feed My Starving children is a faith-based program that has helped many people around the world with food. Locally, thousands have helped through mobile food- packing outreaches.

Feed My Starving Children provides basic food items, including rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and flavorings. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 3,089 volunteers met at the Osage Centre to pack 855,360 meals. This will feed 2,343 children one meal per day for a year.

LaCroix Church, New McKendree United Methodist Church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and Fruitland Community Church sent volunteers. Other groups also joined the effort, making the assembly-line operation a community event.

The event is paid for through special offerings. The recent event cost about $176,000. New McKendree holds a Thanksgiving offering, and LaCroix Church uses its Christmas Eve offering to help fund the meals, develop wells for water, and help with the BackPacks for Friday program, which connects needy children in Cape Girardeau with food for the weekend.

If you would like to help with the cost and cannot attend the LaCroix Christmas Eve service, you can send a donation to the church at 3102 Lexington, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.

We encourage you to view the photo gallery at semissourian.com/multimedia to see the event in action. It's heartwarming to see so many volunteers help feed hungry children.

To all those who donate and volunteer, thank you.