Silva & Feed My Starving Children by Ed Baylor Over the past 3 years at the annual Crest Foods Supplier Appreciation Day and Award Banquet, Crest has presented the winner of the Crest Culture award a check for $2500 to give to the charity of their choice. This year, Silva International was winner of the Crest Culture award, and decided to give their prize to Feed My Starving Children. In October 2016, we went with Rick Balchema from Silva to tour the FMSC facility in Schaumburg and to present them with a check. We were later told that $2500 will provide 11,364 meals and will care for 31 children for an entire year! FMSC is a Christian non-profit organization, and believes Jesus Christ has called us to feed the hungry and serve t- hose in need. Founded in 1987, Feed My Starving Children has given hope in Jesus’ name in the form of nutritious MannaPack meals to so many who are hungry around the world. FMSC organization has permanent work sites in Arizona, Illinois, Minnesota, and Mobile Pac events throughout the USA. Each meal costs less than a quarter to make and more than 90% of total donations goes directly toward feeding kids. Volunteering to work a shift is as easy as click-click-click, entering your name and information, and showing up at your scheduled work time. Recently my wife and I volunteered to work a Friday evening shift from 6:00 to 7:30, there were close to 90 volunteers that night ranging from 5 years old to 75. There was a job for everyone, we didn’t know exactly what to expect, but found the orientation was very helpful it was an extremely fun and rewarding experience. Needless to say we will be going again. We packaged over a pallet of food in the time we worked, in a very clean almost dust free environment. The staff was extremely energetic and fun to be around, creating a great work atmosphere. FMSC exists because of volunteers who generously give their time and energy to feed starving children in desperate need around the world. FMSC doesn’t use machines to package their meals because they realize the personal, im- pactful experience created by packing the meals by hand. It transforms an experience from just “something good to do” into something deeply personal. FMSC volunteers experience a fun, one-of-a-kind team building experience with co-workers, family, friends and strangers alike. This experience often turns into a desire to do more and reach farther, until all are fed. We were happy that Silva International chose to donate their award to such a great organization, and we want to thank Rick for introducing them to us. Maybe we can get a group to Crest Foods and Silva together sometime to volunteer together!
Working away at Feed My Starving Children
Erika Meiners, Marilyn Maurella (FMSC), Ed Baylor and Rick Balkema (Silva)
A finished pallet of food that is prayed over at the end of the shift before it’s sent on it’s way.
April, May & June 2017 Crest Ink 9
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker