In celebration of National Volunteer Week, Interfaith in Action, a Registered Student Organization, will attempt to send one million meals to Haiti with the help of the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne and thousands of volunteers Saturday and Sunday. The Salvation Army of Champaign County and the Kansas-based Numana Incorporation will aid in the effort.
National Volunteer Week, from April 18 to 24, is a nationwide event that involves “ordinary people doing extraordinary deeds” for communities throughout the country, according to its website.
Greg Damhorst, alumnus and former Interfaith in Action president, said One Million Meals for Haiti works to feed the millions of homeless and hungry people in the impoverished nation.
“This event will remind a lot of people in the Champaign Community that Haiti still needs our help, and we have the resources to address those needs,” he said.
Volunteers will gather on Saturday and Sunday at the former Hobby Lobby store, 1916 Glen Park Drive, Champaign, adjacent to County Market. The meals will be airlifted to Salvation Army properties in Haiti.
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The Salvation Army World Service Organization has contributed to Haiti relief efforts since 1950.
“One of the schools on Salvation Army’s property has a soccer field with more than 100 people living on there and the food benefits them,” said Kris Fuqua, Salvation Army event coordinator. “We are going to be feeding people there for probably 10 years.”
The meals, provided through the Numana Inc., include rice, soy and dried vegetables and are fortified with vitamins and flavoring.
The volunteers will combine all of the ingredients and seal them into bags. One bag of food is equipped to feed up to six people.
As of Wednesday, 2,700 volunteers registered for shifts for One Million Meals for Haiti, Damhorst said. Still, they need about 8,000 volunteers to accomplish their goal of sending one million meals.
“The shifts for meal packagers are only two hours long,” Fuqua said. “However, if a person really wants to be involved they can sign up Red Shirt shifts, which require more responsibility and are four hours long.”
Students on campus will also be provided with free transportation, Damhorst said. Suburban Express, a local bus company, is contributing to the fundraiser by providing shuttle buses to and from the event.
