From Osky To The Hungry
Volunteers of all ages joined together on Saturday to help those in need.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – When you think of Iowa, you rarely ever consider the amount of hungry and undernourished. How could there be hungry people in Iowa, when we help provide food to the rest of the world.
George Filber, Youth Pastor at Fellowship Bible Church, could be seen hauling bags of rice, or helping to set up a table and picking up empty containers on Saturday.
Filber says they have been doing the packaging for, approximately, the last four years. According to Filber, it began very simply with 20 middle school kids one night, not so many years ago, to where it is now, with over 100 people volunteering their time to help make 50,000 meals for those in need.
The interesting part about the timing of their packaging process on Saturday is the distinct possibility that the food being packed here in Oskaloosa could soon find its way to the Philippines to help relieve the suffering in the wake of the recent typhoon. “I think that’s just an awesome thing we’re able to do,” said Filber. “200 people can’t fly there from Iowa, and so this is a way we can help them.”
Even if the shipment doesn’t end up being sent overseas, portions of the packing process will remain to help feed those in the poorest parts of the State of Iowa. Filber, like many, is surprised to learn that the meals were needed right here in Iowa and the United States. “Just to think that we would fit in that category, that the people would need that here in the US, let alone right here in our home state of Iowa. It was kind of a shock.”
Filber and the congregation at Fellowship Bible Church like the program because it’s possible for many different people of all ages and ability to help with it. “Everybody in the family can serve together, whether you’re a kindergartner or ninety years old, you can serve,” says Filber.
This year, the packaging process took place at the Oskaloosa Christian School. Principle Jason Alons was happy to open the doors to help. “This is great,” said Alons.
The use of the gym came after a conversation when the two became aware of the large turnout expected.
“I would really love to have more of these things happen where we are helping the community,” said Alons.
Mike Frandsen with Meals from the Heartland was in town to help coordinate the effort of the Oskaloosa residents. In any year, Frandsen says that he will help coordinate up to thirty-five thousand volunteers at packaging events. “We really wouldn’t run without volunteers,” says Frandsen.
Frandsen explained that each meal, prepared in the fashion it is, costs twenty cents per meal, with six meals being in each bag, for a total cost of a dollar and twenty cents per bag.
Those 50,000 meals were made possible by the $10,000.00 raised by donors for the event.
Frandsen confirmed that they were hoping that Saturday’s packaging process would soon find its way to the Philippines. “The staff at Meals has really been praying and hoping that we can get a way to send a full truck to the Philippines. A full truck has 20 pallets on it, so it’s around 300 to 350 thousand meals. We’re so close to getting it, we’re hoping this goes on a truck next week over to the Philippines. We still have a few hoops to jump through to get it there, but we’re hoping and praying that it goes.”
Closer to home, Meals from the Heartland works with the Food Bank of Iowa, the Des Moines Area Religious Council and the Boys and Girls Club.
