This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.

Today I’m not sharing a recipe, but rather talking about something that is so important: starving children. Considering that I run a food blog full of decadent desserts, I think it’s an appropriate thing to touch on.

My family is your typical middle-class family. We live in a suburb, own a home, we each own our own car. My husband and I both have jobs, we can afford to travel, and we can always put food on the table. It’s hard in this constant go-go-go hamster wheel to stop and realize that not everyone has it as good as we do. I’ve been trying to find ways to show Jordan that our life is privileged; that having any food we desire and eating out and getting what we want when we want it is something that not all people have.

Last month a friend of mine sent me a link for a Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) MobilePack event here in our town. You spend two hours out of your day helping to pack meals for kids around the world who live in poverty. I signed myself and Jordan up, and a bunch of our friends all decided to go together. It hadn’t even occurred to me to write a post about it until after our session, when I realized just how much the organization helps children in need all over the world.

img_4527

FMSC is a non-profit agency that purchases ingredients that are hand-packed into meal bags by volunteers. The meals are specially formulated for malnourished children and are sent to their partners across the world (hospitals, schools, orphanages, etc) to help stop the cycle of starving kids. They have stationary locations in Arizona, Illinois, and Minnesota, but they also host hundreds of MobilePacks around the country so that anyone can help volunteer to pack meals.

Here’s how it works: during your volunteer session you hand-pack MannaPack meals full of vitamins, dried vegetables, soy, and rice into 13 ounce bags. It’s a conveyor belt system, where everyone has a job, from pouring measured ingredients into bags, weighing, sealing, and packing the bags into boxes. Anyone over the age of 5 can help pack, and it’s very easy.

img_4523

Here’s where it really gets you in the gut:

Each 13 ounce bag of rice has 6 meals in it (prepared). They actually had samples for us to try, and if you’ve ever thought of eating “mush” or “gruel” that is what I’d liken it too. Basically, there are no spices or fluff – it’s all about nourishment. The meals don’t include a side of bread or dessert; just 6 servings of rice and soy.

img_4531

One of those bags wouldn’t even feed my family of 3 for a day, the way we eat. But to the kids that get those meals, that’s 2 days of food. Sobering, isn’t it?

In our two hour volunteer session (which is only about an hour of actual packing) our table packed enough for 3,456 meals. That’s enough to feed one child for over 3 years.

img_4529

There were over 200 volunteers at our session; moms and kids and families and business groups. As a group we packed 85,536 meals, which is enough to feed 234 kids for a year. In one hour of packing we made a difference in over 230 lives.

Remember that “feeding” according to these meals is not what we would think of feeding. 234 kids can eat rice three times a day for a year…and that’s it. But it will help them recover from malnourishment; it will help them live and thrive and grow up to be adults.

img_4535

Our volunteer session was a huge eye opener to me, and to the kids. It makes you really think about how fortunate we are in this country; that we can have a choice of what we want to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner…and that our next meal is a given.

img_4539

FMSC is a completely non-profit agency. They take monetary donations as well as volunteers; they pay for all the food components that are put in their meals. Companies don’t donate the soy and rice and boxes; they buy them. With the recent hurricanes, they’re more in need of volunteers and donations than ever. It’s great for groups or just for yourself – and the kids had fun too.

You can donate on their website, or sign up to volunteer at one of their permanent locations or find a MobilePack event near you. Every dollar (or hour) can go to save a child. If you’re looking for someplace to donate or volunteer, check them out. I hope we can do this every year!

Last Updated on August 18, 2022



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

Learn to Bake in 4 Days!
Get my tips, tricks and recipes to take your baking to the next level for FREE!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

7 Comments

  1. Such a wonderful cause. Stumbled upon this report while looking for something else but could not help stopping and reading it. There is nothing more humbling and gratifying than feeding a starving soul. So kudos to you for this. x

  2. Such a wonderful thing to do our children need to know how spoiled they are. They probably go to school with kids who are going hungry . My granddaughter does. Even us adults need to learn how blessed and spoiled we are

  3. this is such a great idea-I’m so glad you and Jordan participated and that you decided to share. It’s always good to be reminded how fortunate we are and that not everybody is so lucky <3