Local church hosts meal packing session Sunday

Kids Against Hunger is holding a meal packing session from 1-4 p.m. Sunday in the gym at Fairfield?s Word of Life Lutheran Church.

Three other Fairfield churches are participating in sponsoring Sunday?s packing: First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Friends Church and First Presbyterian Church.

Kids Against Hunger is a humanitarian food-aid organization with a goal to feed starving children and their families throughout the world. Volunteer groups gather to package a highly nutritious, vitamin-fortified soy-rice dehydrated casserole to distribute to more than 60 countries.

The meal includes six dried vegetables and was created by a team of food scientists to fight the affects of starvation and allow the human body to begin recovery. Each 13.8 ounce bag contains six one-cup meals at the cost of 25 cents per meal.

Kids Against Hunger volunteers in Fairfield are part of a region served by Don Fields? warehouse in Mount Pleasant. Fields and his wife Sandee of Brighton, operate the southeast Iowa Kids Against Hunger mission.

In the first six months of 2012, southeast Iowa Kids Against Hunger packaged a total of 1.7 million meals sent to seven countries, which also includes contributing twice to the Ottumwa food bank. On April 23, 23,760 meals were donated to the Ottumwa food bank; and on May 31, 35,640 meals were again donated to the Ottumwa food bank.

Any person or group that might be interested in joining future packing sessions is invited to attend and observe Sunday and learn more about the mission.

Call 472-2520 or 472-4271 for more information locally or visit the website kidsagainsthunger.org and monetary donations are accepted: $10 feeds 40 children; $50 feeds 200 children.