(From one of my recent West Newsmagazine articles...It's not too late to sign up to volunteer! Photos courtesy of Janie Wolfangel...)
Feed the Need STL, working in coordination with Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), will host its 20th annual MobilePack event from April 8-12 at Queeny Park’s Greensfelder Recreation Center.
“Last year was a huge success,” said planning team member Janie Wolfangel, who has been involved for 15 years. “We packed over a million meals that were sent to foreign countries. This year, we’re shooting for 1.5 million.”
Wolfangel’s part of the organization, affiliated with Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Manchester, is hoping to draw 6,000 volunteers. Well over 5,000 were registered as of March 7, with over $300,000 raised out of a goal of $436,000.
The first year of the event in 2007 saw $22,000 donated, with a turnout of 500 volunteers packing 112,104 meals.
“What we do is to ask the people who come to pack the meals to also bring canned goods that we donate to Operation Food Search here in St. Louis,” Wolfangel said. “So, we’re not only benefitting kids out of the country and all over the world, but we’re also helping kids in St. Louis. We’re the longest running group doing this. So, we’re kind of proud.”
FMSC decides where meals are shipped. Those who do the packing know where it’s going three or four days after the food is packaged.
“The organization is just phenomenal,” Wolfangel said. “What they do for other people, I just can’t say enough good things about it. The group that puts this one together, we have three executives: David Hawkins, Bob DeBolt, and Suzie Everingham. They’re unbelievable and they get more people involved in this. It’s awesome.”
To volunteer or learn more about the event, visit feedtheneedstl.org.
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