Feeding Children Worldwide, an organization that provides food and humanitarian support around the world, will set up its first satellite program in Jacksonville.
The Chicago-based organization, founded in 1998, sends food and financial support to eight third-world countries. Feeding Children Worldwide Central Illinois, the Jacksonville chapter, will focus on Haiti and Malawi, Africa. Students at Westfair Christian Academy were involved in the chapter’s kickoff food-packing event Friday. Forming a giant assembly line in the school’s gymnasium, 46 junior and senior high schoolers measured out packages of rice-soy casserole mix and packed them into boxes to be sent to orphanages and schools in Haiti. At the end of an hour, the students had packed enough food to provide 2,160 meals, each packed with 24 vitamins and minerals, six dried vegetables and 11 grams of soy protein. Eldon Tracy, president and founder of Feeding Children Worldwide was at the “pack” Friday. He said the food packed at Westfair, coupled with Feeding Children’s financial support will supplement programs already in place in target countries allowing humanitarian work to go further. The focus is to “help solve problems” said Central Illinois chapter director Ron Hurd of Jacksonville. “We also have a mentoring program to secure someone in country to help supply goats, chickens, teach farming… We’re not just feeding more people. … We don’t just ship one time, we continue to ship until the need has been met, either through us or another source.” The packing was also the kick off event for Westfair’s new community service program. Beginning next school year, community service will be incorporated in the high school curriculum. “I think it’s great,” junior Jennifer Kimbro said. “It gives you something to do.” “We’ll get to give back to our community and it’s part of God’s will for us, I think,” added sophomore Amy Verkruyse. Mr. Hurd hopes the partnership with Westfair Christian Academy is just the beginning. He wants to recruit volunteers from local churches, clubs, schools and community service organizations to join in future food-packing efforts. It costs about $600 to fund a packing event like the one Friday at Westfair. “I think this is going to be good for Jacksonville,” Mr. Hurd said. “We’ll go from Danville to Hannibal, Missouri, to get the whole project moving.” For more information about the program, go to or call (217) 473-3273.
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