Wanted: 5,000 volunteers to pack 1 million meals for hungry children

If all goes as planned this weekend, at least 5,000 hairnets and 5,000 pairs of gloves will be pressed into service when volunteers gather to pack a million meals for malnourished children.

That's how many volunteers are expected to turn out for two-hour shifts at North Central College's Residence Hall/Recreation Center Saturday and Sunday when the college hosts the Feed My Starving Children MobilePack for the second year.

"We're one of the largest MobilePacks," said Karli Saner, assistant director of ministry and service at North Central. Last year, she said, 3,800 volunteers participated.

The goal this year is to pack 1 million meals, she said.

Feed My Starving Children delivers specially formulated food packs to children in nearly 70 countries worldwide. The nonprofit organization maintains a packing facility in Aurora where meals regularly are prepared for shipment, event coordinator Les May said.

Organizations like Feed the Need! Illinois help speed the process by hosting massive packing events like the one slated for this weekend.

May said he and friend Bob Huebner started the Feed the Need! Illinois MobilePack in 2012.

"We came together when I was trying to start a MobilePack," said May, who attends Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Naperville. "I was looking for another church partner to go with us."

That first year, he said, four Lutheran churches pitched in to pack 180,000 meals.

The event grew. Last year, he said, 17 or 18 area churches were involved. This year, 24 churches along with several civic and school groups are involved.

May said many past volunteers come back to do it again and they often bring along new volunteers.

"Where else can you do something for two hours and have such a profound impact on saving lives?" May said.

The event moved from church locations to North Central College last year because it has grown so dramatically.

"The res/rec center is an ideal place for us to pack," May said.

May said volunteers work on an assembly line, doing different jobs to get the food properly packaged.

"It's very intergenerational," he said. "We have people from 5 to 95 working at the event."

Some jobs, such as applying labels, allow volunteers to sit while they work, he said.

Each meal pack contains rice, soy, vitamins and dehydrated vegetables, enough to make six meals, he said.

"These are science-formulated meals for malnutrition," he said.

Feed My Starving Children provides the ingredients and the packing materials and equipment for the MobilePack. Each pack weighs just more than a pound. The meals are boxed and shipped all over the world, he said.

Saner said most volunteers will work a two-hour shift. Several "certified volunteers" who receive training prior to the event will work for six hours, replenishing food supplies, keeping each station clean and ensuring food is properly boxed.

May said volunteers can register at feedtheneedillinois.org. Last-minute volunteers also are welcome, he said.

"If anybody wants to pack, they should just show up," he said.

If you go

What: Feed My Starving Children MobilePack organized by Feed the Need! Illinois

When: 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20; noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21

Where: North Central College Residence Hall/Recreation Center, 440 S. Brainard St., Naperville

Registration: feedtheneedillinois.org

Info: fmsc.org