On the average school day, most kids will get up and eat breakfast. Those who don’t have breakfast at their homes can go to school and eat. If students feel like skipping breakfast altogether, they will simply eat lunch later in the day. However, for 820 million people across the globe struggling with hunger, just grabbing a bite to eat isn’t an option. Being truly hungry means more than skipping breakfast. Those affected by starvation will go days and sometimes weeks without a real, nutritious meal. Because of starvation, these people are severely limited in their abilities to function, get a job, and earn money for food. Feed My Starving Children is an organization dedicated to feeding malnourished children who are affected by hunger. And, for the past 10 years, Cannon Falls has been part of their mission.

Feed My Starving Children has quite a few locations where volunteers and youth groups can go to pack meals for children and families struggling with hunger, especially those in third world countries. In addition to this, they engage in a program called Mobile Pack where the supplies and equipment for volunteers are brought to locations throughout America, such as schools and churches. Not only does Mobile Pack allow for greater participation, but it can also spread the word so that more people are aware of hunger throughout the world. On Saturday November 23, Feed My Starving Children Mobile Pack will be at Cannon Falls high school where approximately 500 volunteers from our community will pack meals for children and families all over the globe. However, the community’s preparation for the event  starts in advance. Nonprofits run solely on the donations of people who would like to contribute to the cause. Since Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) is a nonprofit, every year when they come to Cannon Falls, donors chip in. Over the past ten years, 24-26 thousand dollars has been given to the organization by the community. About ten percent of this money will go to food shelves around the Cannon Falls area.

Spending the morning packing meals probably isn’t number one on most kids’ Saturday agenda. But, student Elias Wojahn enjoys the packing process. He has packed meals in Eagan, as well as the yearly Cannon Falls pack and enjoys having a good time while doing something good for others. He shared, “When you pack meals for Feed My Starving Children with people you know you have more fun doing it. Plus, when you pack meals with your friends you can do things like race and see who can pack more meals.” Packing can be entertaining for adults too. Phil Rudd, a pastor in the area who has been working with FMSC for many years, stated, “I enjoy how we get to work together as teams packing and boxing the meals. The event goes beyond giving money and involves us physically and socially.”

Volunteering is a very important thing to do, especially for young people. FMSC is a great way to volunteer because not only does packing meals impact those who receive the food but it can greatly influence those who pack them. Pastor Rudd, also said that, “I think it is very important for young people to be involved with volunteering programs like FMSC. It gets them beyond thinking only about themselves. It can give all of us a greater sense of gratitude that we have food to eat.” By taking a little time out of their days, anyone can contribute to the cause and programs like FMSC can inspire people to continue volunteering,helping communities where they live in addition to communities halfway around the globe.

Feed My Starving Children provides services to those who need them. By coming to Cannon Falls, they are engaging people from across the community to form bonds, help others, and learn about the world in ways that can’t happen at home or in a classroom.