They’re ready to pack

Raising $25,000 is a big task, especially for a group of high school students.

As of January, Chrissy Krieg wasn’t sure her students could get there.

They have, and then some.

Jay County High School’s chapter of the National Honor Society has not only reached, but well surpassed that goal, and on April 29 will host a Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event to pack 130,000 meals.

“I have never been more impressed with a group of kids,” said Krieg, the advisor for Jay County’s NHS chapter. “For a group of 17- and 18-year-olds to commit and entire year to anything, a year in their lifetime is an eternity.

“When I was ready to throw up my hands and say, ‘Oh my gosh, we can’t get there guys,’ they said, ‘Yes we can.’ … They did it. And they’re still working super hard.”

The students had set out to raise the money in order to be able to hold a MobilePack, with $25,000 required in order to pack 100,000 meals.

But in January, Krieg had to confront them with reality. They were only about a third of the way toward their goal through fundraising that had started in August. It was time to consider the possibility of canceling or postponing the MobilePack.

For the MobilePack leadership team — Alli Campbell, Katie Carpenter, Jacob Geesaman, Carly Grieshop, Samantha Link, Taylor Homan, Audrey Shreve, Maddie Strausburg, Kelsie Walter and Kiara Walter — canceling was simply not an option. So they got to work.

They visited every church, service club and business they could think of, bringing in nearly $6,000 from The Rock church alone. They worked at a concession stand Jan. 21 at Indianapolis Convention Center for the Just Dance! cheer and dance competition. They held a dinner at Norm’s Place in Portland. They teamed with Jay County elementary and middle schools, with Judge Haynes Elementary creating a project that brought in about $500 and West Jay Middle School’s chapter of NHS hosting a Valentine’s dance that netted another $400.

The blitz paid off, and when a hand-delivered check came in on Feb. 22, the goal was met.

“From that meeting in January, it was non-stop,” said Krieg, noting that Jay County’s NHS members worked every day after school and on weekends to promote their cause. “In the span of about six weeks we went from crying, thinking we weren’t going to get (the money) to meet the goal, and then crying because we met the goal.”

Since then, they haven’t stopped.

Students have continued to raise funds, including working at a concession stand at the Sportsman and Outdoor Show at Jay County Fairgrounds earlier this month, and have now surpassed $30,000. That additional money will result in the ability to pack even more meals for Feed My Starving Children, a Minnesota-based organization that distributes MannaPacks (rice, soy, vitamins, minerals anddehydrated vegetables) to the most impoverished areas of the world.

“The kids that they target have not very long to live,” said Kelsey Walter. “There’s not anyone at that point around Jay County or in the United States.”

“It didn’t really hit me what we were doing until we made the goal,” added Campbell. “Little Jay County is going international.”

While money is still coming in, the focus now is on attracting volunteers to be part of the April 29 MobilePack. There will be three sessions, with volunteers packing meals from 9 to 11 a.m., noon to 2 p.m. and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the JCHS auxiliary gym. The morning session is already full, but there is still plenty of room for individuals, businesses and service groups to get involved via the afternoon sessions.

Anyone 5 or older can participate.

A sign-up link is available on the JCHS web site —jayschools.k12.in.us/jchs.

“Come to the pack,” said Krieg.

“It’ll change your life,” Campbell chimed in.

“And the lives of others,” Krieg added.