Saving lives one spoonful at a time

by Kendra Halsell, staff writer

Feed the Children is a Christian, international, nonprofit relief organization. It helps provide more than 730,000 meals a day worldwide. It delivers food, medicine, clothing, and other necessities to individuals, children, and families who lack or do not have those essentials due to famine, war, poverty, or natural disasters.

Larry and Frances Jones founded Feed the Children in 1979 after a life-changing trip to Haiti. According to Rebecca Gass, the associate director of public relations at Feed the Children, Jones, an ordained minister, was visiting churches in Haiti and saw the tremendous suffering of the children. He had just read an article about surplus grain being dumped by American farmers, so following his return to the United States, Jones proceeded to raise enough money to pay for the shipment of the surplus wheat to Haiti.    “Over the years, a small relief project has grown into one of the largest private supply organizations to feed hungry people across the U.S. and internationally,” Gass said during and interview with the Plainsman Press. “Since our founding in 1979, Feed the Children has reached out to help children and families in 118 countries around the globe.”

According to Gass, Feed the Children has been able to distribute more than 1.51 million pounds of food, clothing, educational supplies, and other essentials to those in need in all 50 states of the United States and the District of Columbia. Feed the Children provides supplies to those in need absolutely free of charge, with the help of people worldwide who donate money to the organization.

“ We work closely with caring corporate partners that donate surplus food and other supplies, as well as with individual donors who help defray the cost of transporting the product with donations,” says Gass.

Feed the Children takes donations from anyone who can give money to help not only families and children around the world, but also families and children in the United States who need the same help. To donate, send checks or money orders to Feed The Children, PO Box 36, Oklahoma City, Okla., 73101.

For those who would like to make a donation with a credit card, call 1-800-627-4556, extension 4343 for the credit card department between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST Monday through Friday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Photo courtesy of Rebecca Gass