We all know what it is like to feel hungry. Each one of us, at one time or another, has had our stomach rumble during a quiet staff meeting or some other inopportune time. People glance at you and get that look on their face. You quickly reply “Guess my Cheerio’s didn’t cut it this morning.” Happened to me just this week! Beyond that stomach rumble and finding something to snack on soon, we do not put much thought into real hunger. Imagine taking that a couple steps further; Your stomach is rumbling because there were no Cheerio’s that morning and there wouldn’t be any for lunch, snack or supper…or the next day or the day after that. Just think about that for a few minutes. We may know what it is like to be hungry for a short time, but probably do not know what it feels like to starve.
Do you bake ‘mud cookies’ in the sun so you can fill your stomach just enough to make the pain go away? This is an everyday situation for people in this world. Worldwide 10% of people have multiple servings of food each day, 30% of the world’s population has access to a small serving of meat and vegetables. The other 60% (60%!!!!) only have access to one very small serving of rice and dirty water. Read that again. How can that be?
Cory Grimm and I have had the opportunity to serve alongside the Rock County Ministerial Association in hosting a Kid’s Against Hunger food packaging event right here in Rock County. We have been planning for months and now the time has come to get these meals packaged and dispersed to people in need. Over the summer, the team has been fundraising within the community to pay for each meal that will be packaged during the event. These packets of food cost just 25 cents per serving and will not only be shipped around the world, but many will stay right here in our local communities. Local churches have taken offerings for this project, change jars have been placed at local stores, and local businesses have helped financially.
This is set to be a very special event. Not only are we working to package 100,000 meals to bring nourishment to people who do not have a lot of options, we are enlisting the help of our community, its businesses, children and youth who will come together to make this happen. The piece of the puzzle that I am most excited about is entering a school of both believers and non-believers and being an example of what Jesus instructed us to do! The event will be September 12 and 13 at the Luverne High School. The Luverne Elementary and MS/HS students will all have the opportunity to help raise money or package meals during their school day. The event is also open to community members, families, organizations and businesses that would like to package meals or help with students. Any group or individual is welcome! One of the goals for this event is to teach the children a lifelong lesson of serving others and working together as a community.
There are many ways for you to help and if you are at all intrigued by what is going on, talk to Cory or myself. We are both very excited to help within our community and be examples of Christ. We are also looking for a couple people here at ARC to be extra hands helping the kids, package meals or a number of other roles. We would love to share this time with you!
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40
Becky Ossefoort