MARILYN HAGERTY: Meals from Grand Forks feed starving Haitian kids

• Marilyn Hagerty

Marilyn Hagerty

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Give us this day our daily bread.

On Palm Sunday in the year 2012, most of us worry about eating too much bread. At the same time, we are haunted by the knowledge of millions who go hungry in this world.

This should be a blessed Palm Sunday for 1,500 volunteers in the Greater Grand Forks area who helped pack meals for starving children last weekend. Because of their help, 303,000 meals went out from the Feed My Starving Children center set up in a city building. The same building that has been known as “Sandbag Central” in times of flooding.

Jodie Storhaug, who is the driving force in Feed My Starving Children, said the meals packed here should be arriving this week in Haiti.

Last Sunday, I had a taste of the meals being packed in Grand Forks. They are designed by food scientists for malnourished children. The four ingredients are a vitamin-mineral blend that tastes somewhat like chicken. Then, there are dehydrated vegetables, soy protein and rice.

Actually, the concoction tastes good if you are hungry. And if you are among 1 billion hungry children starving children of this world, you aren’t picky.

Cost for each meal is less than 25 cents. And the cost is said to turn hunger into hope.

The volunteers worked in two-hour shifts. They finished filling bags that went 36 to a box. While those packed here were destined for Haiti, the meals packed at other centers for Feed My Starving Children are going all over the world.

The food doesn’t grow on trees. It is paid for by donations, and the goal here was $66,800 to pay for the food packed here. The money has been coming from businesses and churches of the area. It comes from individual donations.

Jodie Storhaug found out about Feed My Starving Children two years ago. She was visiting relatives in the Twin Cities and joined them as they helped pack food. She thought of the 18,000 children who die each day of starvation.

“It kind of hit my heart,” she said. “It’s a hands-on way of helping.”

She has worked with her husband, Bruce Storhaug, in the cause. They have had help this year from Bruce and Susan Nord at the center.

The volunteers have come forward. They showed up from area towns including Edmore and Cando and even Williston in North Dakota as well as Fisher and Hallock in Minnesota. The meals packed here will feed 830 children for a year.

As Holy Week for Christians stretches ahead, volunteers know that they are doing their part to help Feed My Starving Children. Jodie Storhaug first brought the proposal for the program to the council at Calvary Church, but she was seeking a community-wide effort. While the program works in Christ’s name, people of all faiths are welcome to volunteer, donate and receive the meals.

And Jodie Storhaug doesn’t need to say more. You can tell she is passionate about it.

Reach Marilyn Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or at (701) 772-1055.

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