Feed the children

Service is one of the four pillars of National Honor Society.
Jay County High School’s chapter of the organization has sought to increase its role in that area, first by working together on one large project. Over the past few years, that morphed into four projects led by each of its officers.
For the 2016-17 school year, its members will do both.
In addition to the four quarterly projects, Jay County students have already started working toward hosting a Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event.
Dolphus Stephens, a former JCHS teacher who is a member of Portland Kiwanis along with National Honor Society advisor Chrissy Krieg, brought up the idea of working with the Christian non-profit organization.
Together, they took a group of students in May to a Feed My Starving Children MobilePack in Nappanee, where they worked with other volunteers to pack meals and saw testimonials about children who had been helped.
“It was so amazing,” said JCHS senior Kiara Walter, who is one of the leaders of the project along with Katie Carpenter, Taylor Homan, Maddie Strausburg and Samantha Link. “It was just a really uplifting kind of experience. Everyone was just so happy and excited to be there.”
They wanted to bring that excitement home.
“We went up for the day, and pretty much at the end of our shift the collective agreement was, ‘We have to do this,’” said Krieg. “Everybody was on board.
“It was pretty moving and I think all the kids saw it as an opportunity to really make a difference.
“Everybody just felt very inspired to help.”
That help will come in the form of a MobilePack event April 29 in the JCHS auxiliary gym. But before that day arrives, students must first raise $25,000 to cover the cost of the ingredients for 100,000 meals, the minimum for a Feed My Starving Children event.
That effort started with Portland Kiwanis donating $1,500, and students will continue the process at Friday night’s season-opening football game against the Delta Eagles. They will be selling cotton candy — $3 per bag or two for $5 — behind the main bleachers, with all proceeds going toward the project. They plan to sell again during games Sept. 2 against Southern Wells and Sept. 30 against South Adams for homecoming, and possibly basketball games in the winter as well. Other fundraising plans include working at concession stands at Lucas Oil Stadium and Indiana Convention Center as well as teaming with the local elementary schools and NHS groups at East Jay and West Jay middle schools.
“We plan on asking other organizations for donations, but we’d really rather get a foundation out of work that we’ve done,” said Carpenter. “We want to do most of the elbow grease and hard work so we can really get it going and then ask the organizations for money.”
Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, Feed My Starving Children partners with churches, schools and service organizations to host MobilePacks to help supplement the work done at its seven permanent sites. South Adams High School hosted one in April 2015.
Volunteers put together MannaPacks consisting of dry ingredients — rice, soy, vitamins, minerals and dehydrated vegetables — in small pouches. They are designed to be prepared simply by adding boiling water.
The organization distributes the MannaPacks all over the world, specifically targeted children who are not just hungry, but truly starving. It has served more than 60 countries, including Guatemala, Burundi, Ukraine and Thailand.
In addition to the financial commitment needed, groups hosting MobilePacks also must have at least 500 volunteers. Those interested — anyone ages 5 and older can participate — will be able to sign up through JCHS as the event draws nearer.
The goal, the students said, is for the MobilePack to stretch well beyond the National Honor Society and Jay County High School.
“We want to pull in everyone in the community,” said Carpenter. “We want to get everyone involved, because it’s not just our project. It’s God’s work and we want to get everyone involved as much as we can.”