Area residents of all ages took time out of their day last Wednesday to do their part in helping starving people in other countries
The banquet hall at The Caboose is typically a place where people gather to celebrate — and eat. Last Wednesday, however, the people there weren’t eating food, they were preparing it.
Dozens of community members — from the young to the young-at-heart representing area service organizations and churches — took part in the annual Food for Kidz food packaging event, where packets of food are assembled to feed kids around the world.
“Other kids don’t have enough money to buy food,” said 9-year-old Sierra Staufacker, who was charged with filling bags with rice.
This was the second food packaging event for Bobbi Jo Evers, a senior at Tracy Area High School. She played a role in a similar event in Sacred Heart a couple of years ago.
“A lot of us National Honor Society kids are looking for community service opportunities, so they posted this one and here I am,” she said. “As a kid who grew up with not a lot of money and not a lot of food to go around, it’s really cool that they have things like this for kids to have access to, especially when it’s so balanced. You have all the nutrients you need to function every day. I think it’s nice.”
Bruce Johnson was the delivery man last week. Johnson who lives in Brownton, has worked with Food for Kidz for about four years. He said he brought in enough supplies for about 50,000 meals.
The finished product will go back to the warehouse, where it will remain for anywhere between one and two months. Another organization will pay for it to be shipped out in a special container.
“We load the truck up, it will go to the railroad in St. Paul, then from the railroad it will go to a barge and it will be shipped to places like Afghanistan, Haiti, The Philippines and Africa.”
See this week’s Headlight Herald for more on this article.