Feed My Starving Children aids developing nations in feeding the impoverished

Photo source: imgarcade.com

Erin McHugh, Correspondent

Too much homework, stuck in traffic, late for work, car problems, iPhone is out of battery: these are things that would exist in what Americans would consider a “bad day”. Yet there is a luxury here–most Americans know where their next meal is coming from.

“805 million people in the world do not have enough food to lead a healthy active life,” according to The World Food Programme.

This number is less than its previous years, but it is still not low enough. There are many things people can do to solve world hunger, including donating money, giving food to food pantries, or volunteering at world hunger organizations such as the very successful Feed My Starving Children (FMSC). FMSC is an organization where people go and pack food, that is then later shipped to starving countries all over the world.

World Hunger is a big problem worldwide, and many say it is the most vital problem to solve.

“Nothing in these countries that FMSC sends food to, without taking care of the food part of it­ nothing else can be solved,” said Susan Elwell, Person In Charge at the FMSC center in Aurora. “When you are starving you have no personality and no energy to do anything but stay alive. And it is a problem that anyone can help with.”

FMSC allows people of any age to come and pack food, opening up a grand spectrum to all people to help stop world hunger.

“It’s a basic right to eat,” Elwell said. “There are a lot of world problems that we can’t do anything about, but starvation is one we can.. It’s all a matter of giving the funds to buy the food and getting them to these places.”

If more people donated, not only their money but time as well, the number of starving people in the world will go down. World hunger is a difficult problem to solve, yet it is plausible as long as there are more people on board to help.

This organization has certainly done its part when it comes to the impact it has made to try and stop world hunger. Elwell said that last year FMSC sent 228 million meals around the world that fed about 430,000 kids a year. This year, their goal is 270 million meals and they want to feed an additional 100,000 kids this year.

When Elwell started working 3 years ago, 18,000 kids under the age of 5 would die every day because of starvation. Since then, the number has dropped to less than 7,000 kids every day due to the help of 900,000 volunteers at FMSC and contributions from other hunger organizations.

Now, don’t let the name be deceiving, because this organization does ship food to more than just kids. They ship to orphanages, clinics, families and partners in Haiti who deliver boxes of food to other families. The Manna Rice formula is given to starving children and adults old enough to consume solid food and the Potato formula is given to younger children who cannot consume solid food, or even adults to help with their digestive system. The top 5 countries that FMSC helps are Haiti, Philippines, El Salvador, North Korea and Kenya.

The unique thing about this hunger organization is the distinct formula created specifically for starving people.

Photo source: fmsc.org
Photo source: fmsc.org

“The businessmen who started this organization 25 years ago went on a trip to Honduras and saw many starving kids and wanted to help,” Elwell said. “So he sent granola bars, crackers, etc. and the kids got even more sick. The man was sent a letter from Honduras that told him not to send any more food. The man partnered with scientists, including some at General Mills, to create a formula specifically designed to pull these people out of starvation.”

Though FMSC is a Christian organization, all people are allowed to receive the food. The Manna Rice formula is a vegan meal, which is acceptable in all religions. The formula consists of soy, rice, veggies, and chicken flavoring vitamin powder.

The soy is a gentle protein, and the vitamin powder has 20 vitamins and minerals that directly affect the brain to help alleviate symptoms of starvation, working in tandem with the vitamin-rich vegetables. The rice is culturally accepted all across the globe, and is an ingredient that people worldwide know how to cook. This well thought out formula has saved the lives of millions of children, and continues to do so every day.

Although this organization has had lots of success, there is still more to be done. Elwell said that 50 percent of the world lives in extreme poverty, and many are oblivious to these facts. In order to solve this problem, the best thing for people to do is volunteer, raise and donate money, and have a long term investment with an organization like FMSC.

FMSC has had a major impact due to all of the help it has been given, but it needs more. The workers and volunteers at the organization only want to help, and all want to make the world a better place.

Elwell said her favorite part about her job is talking with the volunteers, because she loves hearing different stories from everyone and enjoys the conversations. The workers are all kind and caring people, who have more in common than one may think.

Please consider taking the time to realize how blessed you are, and use what can do to make a difference in the world. Get some friends and volunteer, donate, give the time! Anything can help. Like Gandhi once said, “be the change you wish to see in the world.” The question is not “do I have to,” but “how can I.”