Is this a catchy hook for a new internet marketing program to grab new customers? Or maybe a post for a sales campaign that will help your agent sell your home more quickly? No, nothing to sell here today. I want to make you think, just for a moment, about what it would be like to literally not know where your next meal is coming from.
Nearly 18,000 children die every day from starvation or hunger-related causes. 18,000, every day.
This week 50 Realtors and staff from Baird&Warner St. Charles stopped and thought, just for a moment, about what it would be like to be a child and not know where your next meal is coming from. In support of "National Make a Difference Day" this October, we volunteered for a packing shift at the warehouse of Feed My Starving Children in Aurora, IL.
Along with other volunteers in our shift, we packaged 24,840 meals into over 4,000 bags for distribution to starving children around the world.
In 2009, FMSC packaged and distributed over 96 million meals to children in over 70 countries. All meals are packaged by volunteers, over 416,000 of which participated in 2009. 100% of the funds needed for this program are donated; FMSC keeps their administration expenses to an astonishingly low 6%. FMSC is on track to package and distribute over 115 million packages of food in 2010.
The packing system is organized with drill like precision by warehouse staff and volunteers. After viewing a distressingly emotional but motivating video and the donning of hairnets, we were assigned jobs at packing stations or in the "runner" pool. The runners were sweating within a few minutes, racing back and forth to keep the bins of dehydrated food filled, while the teams at each table quickly got into a rhythm to get as many bags filled as possible during our two hour shift.
Each bag contain a highly nutritious mix of rice, soy nuggets, vitamins and minerals, and dehydrated vegetables that when cooked with boiling water provides six meals for children who might not otherwise eat that day.
And the hairnets are a great bonus!
If you are interested in continuing to make a difference in this way, please visit www.fmsc.org. They need donations of money, time and work. Jerry Moews, Director of the Aurora site, can help you set up your organization's visit for a food packing event. Call (630)851-0404 for more information.
Baird&Warner Fox Valley
Packing Day at Feed My Starving Childen
October 12, 2010
Thanks to God for the food that we have on our plates every day.
If you'd like to Donate or Volunteer in the fight against world hunger and feed His starving children, click on related link(s) above.
Thank you to Judy Knaak for "hairnet" photo and contribution to this post. Photo of children and video used with permission from FMSC.
Baird&Warner Real Estate is located in Chicago, IL. Over 1,600 real estate agents in 26 offices provide outstanding services to 1000's of clients every year. Baird&Warner Real Estate is the 13th largest real estate broker in the US and continues to grow and thrive even in difficult economic times.
Baird&Warner continues it's 158 year history of service to the community through the Baird&Warner Good Will Network. In 2006 we were the proud recipients of the 2006 National Make a Difference Award from USA Weekend and The Paul Newman Foundation.
Comments(6)