Springfield (November 9 2012) – Nearly 5000 Missouri volunteers representing churches schools community groups and area universities will work together in assembly-line formation to package more than one million meals in just three days on Friday Saturday and Sunday November 9-11 at the Springfield Exposition Center 635 E St Louis Springfield MO 65806. Ultimately the efforts of volunteers participating in the Springfield-wide “Meals a Million†effort will help sustain Hurricane Sandy victims and provide nutrition for an international community for whom the daily quest for food is constant.
Natural disasters even where community services are established have a disproportionate effect on people with little or no savings. When tragedy strikes the most vulnerable will have renewed difficulty affording food or shelter. World Health Organization statistics confirm that a child dies every six seconds from malnutrition and related illnesses.
The Springfield packaging was months in the making under the leadership of Friends Against Hunger (FAH) a Springfield-based non-profit caring for the poor by providing nutrition for undernourished people around the world. Partnering with FAH is Outreach based in Union Iowa (www.outreachprogram.org) a non-profit recognized with the highest Charity Navigatorâ„¢ rating which has facilitated the packaging of more than 200 million nourishing meals for the hungry.
Seeing news accounts of food shortages resulting from Hurricane Sandy Outreach founders Floyd Hammer and Kathy Hamilton suggested to the FAH team that a portion of the one meals being packaged for international pantries be re-directed to immediate needs in New York and New Jersey. FAH was enthused and a call by Floyd Hammer to the office of Governor Terry Branstad quickly engaged the support of Bob Sturgeon of Barr-Nunn Transportation Inc. in Granger Iowa to ensure the food would reach its destination safely. Teamwork in Missouri coupled with the know-how and determination of Iowa partners means that nearly 300000 meals packaged in Springfield will roll out on Saturday afternoon and arrive the Community Food Bank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) on Monday. CFBNJ will release the meals to six nearby shelters.
The macaroni and cheese meals are formulated with soy protein from Iowa farms. The cost of each nourishing meal developed in partnership with nutritionists at Iowa State is approximately 25 cents which covers the ingredients packaging and delivery of the food.
Plans are underway for an Iowa-based packaging for Sandy relief during early-December. To learn more volunteer or donate please visit www.outreachprogram.org