FIRST WORLD FOOD DAY COMMEMORATION A FULFILLING SUCCESS
2 Days. 1900 Volunteers. 355,000 Meals Packaged for Malnourished People in sub-Saharan Africa
It was early evening on October 16, day two of the Center’s World Food Day commemoration; exhausted (but elated) Danforth Center employees and volunteers were emptying the last bits
of rice from 50 pound bags into the tubs near impatient food packagers. “We’re out of rice!” some of the tables exclaimed. And to the disbelief of even those that were there for every moment of the two-day event, there was simply no more rice left to package. It had all been used — mixed with soy protein and dried vegetables, then funneled into small bags along with a vitamin packet. Each bag contained enough nutritious food to feed four adults or six children. The initial goal for the event was to make 200,000 meals,
but by the end of the second day, 355,000 had been assembled. There were simply no ingredients left to make more.
During the two day
event, volunteers donated $15-$20 (or
more) to pay for and
package the nourishing meals. Every hour brought in a new set of volunteers, with many sessions so crowded that an additional packaging location at nearby BRDG Park had to be opened to handle the capacity. Students on field trips, including children as young as seven, participated alongside parents, teachers, neighbors, teammates and friends.
In addition to bringing food to those is desperate need, the packaging volunteers were encouraged to think about the
potential long-term scientific solutions to fight malnutrition. After each packaging session, volunteers were given a brief tour of the Center and had the opportunity to speak to some of our international scientific staff. Visitors, many of them at the Center for the first time, were able to ask critical questions and form new understandings about the work of the Danforth Center, the science of food, and the importance of nutrition from plants.
Because of the event’s dual purpose of immediately helping those in need around the world, while teaching visitors about the long-term importance of the scientific work at the Center, it was an event that engaged both the heart and the head.
The event is returning on October 14-15, 2011, with a new goal of packaging 500,000 meals!
For a list of corporate world food day 2010 sponsors, see page 34
Celebrating our Supporters
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