According to Lora Mangus Wenger, chairperson of the Lancaster County Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) MobilePack event, approximately 6,200 children around the world die each day from hunger and malnutrition-related causes.

Founded in 1987, FMSC is a nonprofit organization that aims to alleviate world hunger by hosting MobilePack events, where volunteers hand-pack nutritious meals specifically designed to assist in reversing and preventing undernutrition. Every day, FMSC meals are distributed to schools, orphanages, clinics, and feeding programs around the world to help break the cycle of poverty. Since the organization was established, FMSC has distributed more than 2 billion meals in nearly 70 countries.

The seventh annual three-day FMSC MobilePack event will take place at Willow Street Mennonite Church (WSMC), 399 E. Penn Grant Road, Willow Street, from Friday, March 25, to Sunday, March 27. One thousand volunteers are needed to work during two-hour shifts to provide 300,000 meals in three days.

"This event is a wonderful opportunity for people of all ages to give back and show care for our local and global communities," stated Wenger. "Meeting basic needs through providing food assistance seems simple, but makes a huge positive impact in the life of a person in need."

In order to pack meals safely, volunteers will be screened with questions prior to admission and will be encouraged to wear a mask throughout the event. Hand-washing stations will be implemented this year, and increased disinfecting practices between shifts per COVID-19 protocols will be in place. All volunteers will need to preregister online. Walk-ins will not be accepted due to shift limits of volunteers, which is necessary for social distancing. Those who sign up for a packing shift are encouraged to donate a minimum of $52. At the price of less than 25 cents a meal, the donation will cover the cost of one box of packed meals, equaling 216 meals, which is the average number a single volunteer packs in a two-hour period. There will be a variety of tasks at the packing event, and people of all ages and abilities are welcome to participate. Some jobs will require lifting, while others may be done while seated. To reserve a time slot, visit https://give.fmsc.org/willowstreet.

For the second year, FMSC will collect food for the Lancaster County Food Hub in response to local food insecurity. The first year this initiative was implemented, FMSC was able to donate 18 bags of food to the Food Hub. Requested items include peanut butter, canned meats, white or brown rice, pouch meals such as Hamburger Helper, whole grain pasta, and boxed macaroni and cheese.

"I am excited about FMSC because each year it is amazing to know that our community is taking little steps to make big, positive, life-saving changes in children's lives all around the world," commented Wenger. She added, "One outgrowth of our event is that a church from Berks County was inspired to host their own event after having participated in our event. That is exactly what we have been hoping will occur: more MobilePack events taking place, resulting in more people being fed around the world."

For more information about the FMSC MobilePack event at WSMC, readers may email Wenger at lmw4fmsc@gmail.com or call WSMC at 717-464-2422.