Feed My Starving Children Minnesota Blog Event

I have sat here for several minutes just staring at the screen not sure where to start.  For me that is a rarity.  I usually write fast and easy.  But not tonight.

Tonight was different for so many reasons.

But mostly because of Omar.  Omar was a little boy whose picture they showed to our group at Feed My Starving Children.  In the picture he was 8.  And he weighed 19 pounds.  I was sitting in the front row and couldn't take my eyes off his sad, wrenching photo.  This was a boy Caleb's age.  Skinny, scrawny Caleb, who is still 52 pounds (and at about the 25th percentile for his age).  Omar was 19 pounds.

We would be packing bags of food that were made up of chicken, vegetables, soy and rice.  One cup of that food would go to one child for one meal a day.

That is what happened with Omar.  And in just 16 days he looked alive again.  And in six months, he looked like he could go to school with Caleb.

How could you not be moved by that?

We donned hairnets and moved into the packing room.

Andrea from Blah Blah Babycakes and Jill from Spoils of Wear.

Yours truly.  So much for cute new haircut.  (Though it was funny how many people commented that I look just like my photos, which would stand to reason as the last one was taken this morning.)

We received our training with important reminders about how important is was to keep the food sanitary and clean.  Don't sneeze.  (Which of course made me have to sneeze.  And after about 20 minutes, I ran out of the room and did.  And yes, I did thoroughly wash my hands all doctor-style.  That's what you learn working in a hospital.)

We all gathered around tables to create an assembly line.

 And for about an hour you repeat this pattern over and over.

Chicken.

Vegetables.

Soy.

And rice.

The food is bagged, weighed, and sealed.

And packed up for shipment.

Jen from Prior Fat Girl was working at my table, along with a group volunteering from the Rosedale Gap.

 

 

 

 

Liz from Random Thoughts from a Lutheran Geek and Kate from Kate in the Kitchen

 

 

For being brave enough to be one of two guys in a sea of 38 women, and for being great at keeping the place clean.  I have to share Norman from Norman's Demense.

After doing that again and again for one of the fastest hours of my life, we ended up having accomplished this:

Along with the other volunteers there, we made 13,824 meals.

Those meals filled 64 boxes.

Which was enough to feed 38 kids for a year.  For an entire year.

And our meals will be going to Haiti.

I got there late tonight.  I missed dinner tonight.  And I was hungry.  But as they pointed out, there is a big difference between hungry and starving.  I was simply hungry.  Omar was starving.

At the end of the night, they encourage you to support them financially.  They are also selling a variety of fair trade items that help them raise funds and also help support the people in the areas they send the food.

To help keep this experience in my mind, I bought myself a Haitian hand-beaded bracelet.  And I have another one to share with one of my readers.  Details to follow...

To all of my fellow bloggers, those I got to meet and those, unfortunately, I didn't.  Thanks for being a part of tonight.  I look forward to seeing you again soon and, until then, keeping in touch though our online homes.

P.S. I have to thank the following companies for supporting us all and recognizing our efforts by sending us some great products and samples.  Annie's Homegrown (Caleb asked when he can get a car to put the bumper sticker on it, not I am not kidding), Red Gold and let me tell you, the image of 40 people carrying out giant tins that looked like tins of tomatoes is not one I will forget anytime soon and Blue Plate Restaurant Company.  Pretty much 3/4 weekends a month, we are eating at Highland Grill (sporting "my hair is hideous" baseball hats) breakfast at this fab restaurant, so the kids meal coupons will be used, for sure.  I'll be the one in the gray boiled wool cap.