Jasper County Take Away Hunger seeks volunteers

Following devastation from several recent hurricanes, there’s no question many are without food. Jasper County Take Away Hunger is working to alleviate that need this month during its fall packaging event.

The county-wide event is set for 9 a.m. Oct. 14 at Holy Trinity Church in Newton. Volunteers are required to register and will be assigned a time period.

Take Away Hunger headquarters in Mt. Pleasant is putting together a large shipment of meals to be handled by Convoy of Hope, a part of which will be distributed to aid the hurricane victims in the Houston area. The meals will include black beans, rice and macaroni and cheese.

Founder of the first packaging distribution center in Iowa, Dan Fields, of Mt. Pleasant, said there are currently around 150,000 meals being prepared to send to Houston and Miami in the next few months.

Fields said the packaging event in Newton is just one of the many statewide locations stepping up to make a difference.

“These people will need help for months and months to come and instead of sending meals overseas, we are sending them over to the states that are needing help,” Fields said. “This is the opportunity for the state of Iowa and communities, if they aren’t involved in the event they can give financially.”

According to Fields, donating just 50 cents provides a meal for two people.

“For people who are without everything and that’s something we never thought we’d see, and they don’t have a roof over their head, this meal is highly nutritious and it’s going to keep them healthy,” Fields said.

President of Jasper County Take Away Hunger Bill Bennett said the packaging events are a unique way to donate.

“A lot of times when you donate you don’t know where that money is going to but you are packaging those meals and you know where your donation is going,” Bennett said.

Bennett said packaging for an hour results in 1,728 meals in eight boxes.

Once the meals are sent off, they will reach missionary Rod Baker in Tulsa, Okla. Baker has already established which organizations and churches can use the supplies.

“It’s a lot of work to get this set up properly and even if there are dozens and dozens of trucks sitting down there, you have to make sure you have to have your legwork done,” Fields said. “The greatest part is Iowans coming together and making a huge statement and huge impact.”

The nonprofit organization is looking for four teams of 12 to package per shift. To register a team of volunteers, contact Bill Bennett at 641-791-3612 or email jaspercountytakeawayhunger@gmail.com by Oct. 7.

Jasper County Take Away Hunger is a secular, nonprofit corporation dedicated to hunger relief through assisting volunteers in packaging highly nutritious meals that are distributed both domestically and internationally.

Contact Kayla Singletary at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or ksingletary@newtondailynews.com