Students of Christ, Stevensville, along with their teachers, pastor, parents, and grandparents, spent a morning assembling food packets for “Kids Around the World” (KATW). This organization is dedicated to helping children and families who have been affected by war, poverty, illness, and natural disasters.
The students are no strangers to KATW. In the past, they have donated their chapel offerings, raising a few hundred dollars. This year, they accepted the challenge to take it up a notch and raise thousands of dollars!
Utilizing social media and taking an online approach to fundraising, students were able to involve their friends and relatives, even those living far away. In the first week, they raised over $2,000. By the end of the project, they exceeded $5,200.
KATW Director Mike Young, who is also 8th grade teacher Ryan Young’s uncle, introduced the project to the students with two particular numbers: 6 and 25. Every 6 seconds, a child somewhere in the world dies of starvation. It was obvious that the students comprehended how many children were dying of starvation as they counted off by sixes – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2 …. Young also shared that a mere 25 cents is what it costs for one meal containing a day’s nutritional content for one starving child.
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The funds they raised translated into 20,800 meals, which is exactly the number of meals the students and adults packaged that morning for shipment overseas.
Each meal contains a cup of soy, a cup of rice, a couple tablespoons of dried vegetables, and a nutrition packet. Each meal was packed, weighed, heat-sealed, and then placed in boxes for shipment. As the group worked, FOX 28 News out of Southbend, Ind. came to interview and record the event.
Prior to packing, Young had school kitchen staff cook some of the packets so that the students could sample the food. Many tried it. Their reactions? Positive.
To find out how you can get involved, visit http://www.kidsaroundtheworld.com.
