single parenthood

In place of Christmas presents this year, my SIL's family has decided to do something for charity. Yesterday, my SIL arranged for several of us to volunteer at this organization. You spend 2 hours packaging food that will feed children in some of the poorest nations.

When you arrive, you see many photos of starving kids with pictures of healthy children right next to them. They are before and after shots of the children. The first thing you do is watch a four minute video of the organization, what they do, and how it helps the children. Once that is over you wash your hands, put on a lovely hairnet, apron and away you go. Each food package contains enough food to feed 6 children a meal.

The video was heartbreaking to see the children in the garage cans, Kiran asked what that meant that they eat trash and in some cases mud. She told me this morning that 16,000 children die everyday because they are hungry. It is so sad that she remembers the figure.

The first thing is a chicken base, next dried veggies with enough vitamins and minerals for the day, then in goes the soy, and last rice. Once that is done, it is sealed, boxed up, and ready to ship. It works like an assembly line with everyone doing their job. Kiran was fabulous. She worked really hard along side her cousin to help the children of the world.

Yesterday the 55 people there, packaged 8,000 meals. That will shipped around the world.

We take everything we have for granted. The feast we had for Thanksgiving was huge and then to think of the dying children it saddens me.

If anyone wants to see their website here is the link http://www.fmsc.org/. The really neat thing is is 94% of their donations go directly to the children and getting the food to them. It is a Minneasota based organization that is starting up a warehouse in Chicago shortly.

Kiran and I have decided we need to do this once a month for the next year.

Love to all..