Feed My Starving Children offers holiday volunteer opportunities
Families and church groups have a meaningful new way to spend Thanksgiving morning, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve this holiday season: Pack meals with Feed My Starving Children and cover the costs with a sacrificial gift of $50 per volunteer.
The six special holiday meal-packing sessions are called “Fully Invested,” because volunteers are asked to invest time and treasure to feed the world’s hungry. Normally, FMSC does not require a donation, but for these sessions each volunteer commits to funding a box of 216 MannaPack meals at $50.
“Fully Invested” sessions will be offered at the following times at the Aurora, Libertyville, and Schaumburg meal-packing sites of Feed My Starving Children:
Ÿ Sunday, Nov. 24, 1 to 3 p.m.
Ÿ Thursday, Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving Day), 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Ÿ Sunday, Dec. 15, 1 to 3 p.m.
Ÿ Tuesday, Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve), 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Ÿ Tuesday, Dec. 31 (New Year’s Eve), 7 to 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight
Reserve spots at fmsc.org/FullyInvested. There is room for 140 volunteers at the Libertyville site, 110 at the Aurora site, and 90 at the Schaumburg site for each of the six shifts.
Groups are encouraged to fundraise in advance and make their $50 donations the day they pack.
FMSC is normally closed on Sundays and holidays, and donating is usually voluntary. But “Fully Invested” sessions are different for good reasons, say leaders of FMSC.
“People have been asking for packing opportunities on Sundays and holidays — times we’re normally closed — as a way to live out their faith,” says Mark Crea, executive director/CEO of FMSC.
“At ‘Fully Invested’ sessions, people can serve others while most of our culture is absorbed in shopping, eating, or watching sports.”
At FMSC meal-packing, adults and children ages 5 and older hand-assemble MannaPack meals consisting of rice, soy nuggets, dehydrated vegetables, and a flavoring with 20 vitamins and minerals. The fun activity draws families and groups together while feeding the hungry.
For details, visit fmsc.org.