Church packages thousands of meals for children in other countries

Hundreds of volunteers in hairnets filled the gym at The Exceptional Foundation as pop music played in the background on a Saturday in January. That day more than 108,000 meals for hungry children were packed, right in Homewood.

Dawson Family of Faith organized the event to impact people far outside Homewood. More than 450 adults gathered for Feed One Hungry Child, an event tied to nonprofit Christian organization Feed My Starving Children. The group has sent more than 600 million meals to countries where the need is greatest since 1987.

The process starts with raw ingredients — soy, rice, vegetables and a vitamin and mineral vegetarian chicken-flavored mix  — to meet the nutritional needs of a 4- to 8-year-old malnourished child. Each meal has 20 different vitamins and minerals that are specifically tailored to meet a child’s nutritional needs for one day.

Part of the funding for Dawson’s project came from funds given by the children at Dawson on a commitment day last fall. All other funds came from Dawson mission giving.

The event is part of a larger effort, Go Beyond!, which encourages people in the church to serve beyond its walls. 

For more, visit dawsonchurch.org.