Whitworth students invite community to help them package one million meals on May 3

Volunteers from Whitworth University and the community will pack six meals each in 166,667 bags to provide 1 million meals to hungry people in Spokane and Guatemala.

Meals of rice, vegetables, soy protein and vitamins have a three-year shelf life.  Recipients just add hot water.

“We have raised $90,000 of $250,000. We need 25 cents a bag,” said Audrey Evans, Whitworth campus coordinator.

She expects 2,500 volunteers to work three-hour shifts at 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., Saturday, May 3, at Whitworth’s Field House.  Organizers are recruiting Whitworth and Gonzaga students, faculty and staff, and community members involved in Little League teams, Bible study groups, quilting clubs, high school football teams and congregations.

“We need people to lead teams of 12,” Audrey said.

Whitworth President Beck Taylor picked up the idea from the book, To Stir a Movement, by San Francisco Giants pitcher Jeremy Affeldt, with the goal of stirring students to act,” she said.

Jeremy and Larisa Affeldt founded Generation Alive in 2005 to move young people to help other young people survive. 

The Spokane-based organization works in collaboration with others to engage youth in acts of compassion that promote justice and alleviate poverty.  Their approach is to educate by engaging youth in hunger projects, and also to aid orphans, fund clean water,  and work to abolish child slavery.

Audrey, who is executive vice president of Whitworth student government, said the school was ordering the food from Generation Alive, which does other food packing events, including a recent one at Victory Faith Fellowship in Spokane Valley and events at 20 schools.

For information, call 503-936-2371, email aevans14@my.whitworth.edu or visit whitworth.edu/onemillionmeals.

Copyright © April 2014 - The Fig Tree