4,000 volunteers working to pack a millions meals to send to Haiti

In 1989, Renato Cintron was homeless and hungry until a former co-worker offered him a place to stay, regular meals and an outfit to wear on job interviews.

Saturday morning, 21 years later, the successful businessman from Highland Park was one of an expected 4,000 volunteers in Elgin preparing one million meals for survivors of the Jan. 12 Haitian earthquake.

"Back then, I just needed a good meal or two to get my energy up and the confidence to get a job at a fast-food joint and pay my way through the rest of my schooling so I could be a success story," he said while measuring a portion of freeze-dried vegetables. "Today I'm helping because I hope these meals will get those poor people in Haiti back on their feet as well."

The weekend effort, a partnership among the Salvation Army, Elgin residents and businesses, and Kansas-based Numana Inc., continues from 1 to 6 p.m. today at the former Seigle's Home and Building Center, 160 Big Timber Road.

Inside the old warehouse, 650 volunteers at a time are being divided into 50 teams of 13, suited in a sanitary cap, gloves and bib, and working in two-hour shifts to prepare the meals. Each completed package consists of rice, soy, freeze-dried vegetables, chicken flavoring and 21 vitamins targeted to help the immune system. Each meal costs only 30 cents to prepare and will feed six people for a day.

"That means that by Friday (when the meals are expected to arrive in Haiti along with a million gallons of water), the Salvation Army and people of Elgin will have helped feed 6 million people," Salvation Army Maj. Ken Nicolai said. "That is a tremendous relief effort, and these people will be able to feel good about being a part of it."

Elgin residents Mark and Rachael Burian brought their 15- and 11-year-old daughters, Allie and Caitlyn, so they, too, could feel good about helping and be reminded to be thankful for what they have.

"These girls have never missed a meal or slept outside or lost anything important to them," Mark Burian said. "So when we saw this chance to help, so close to home, my wife and I thought it would be good to bring the girls and help, as a family, for a few hours."

The United Nations has designated The Salvation Army as the "lead agency" responsible for the care of 20,000 earthquake survivors living in makeshift tents or in the open near the Army's main compound in Port-au-Prince.

In the past month, Nicolai said, the Salvation Army has distributed about 3 million meals and 700,000 gallons of water, and provided medical treatment to more than 16,000 individuals.

Maj. Mark Turner said the organization has been in Haiti since 1950, with more than 700 officers and staff operating 49 schools, several orphanages and a hospital.

The Haiti undertaking is the group's largest international relief effort since the 2005 tsunami in Indonesia.

Nicolai said the volunteer work is family friendly and suitable for people ages 8 and older. He also urged volunteers to bring a canned food item for the Salvation Army food pantry in Elgin, where unemployment is about 15 percent.

Volunteers must register for a time slot ahead of time at salarmyelgin.org. For details, call (847) 741-2304.