In the spirit of community service, members of VFW Post 845 recently lent helping hands to a meal-packing project with the goal of feeding hungry children around the world.

Kids Around the World (KATW) is a Christian non-profit organization which partners with churches and communities throughout the world to establish what they call "Hope Zones” in impoverished and under-reached communities. The organization’s website states, "In these Hope Zones, kids experience the love and Good News of Jesus through Food, Play, and Story.”

Locally, the Forks of the Brandywine Presbyterian Church on Horseshoe Pike, Glenmoore, sponsored a packaging event on Saturday, Feb. 3.

VFW Post 845 member and former post chaplain Robert Fernholz, a church attendee, suggested that members of our post join him in that volunteer effort as a community service. 

The post had a good showing with ten people joining assembly lines that combined rice, lentils, dried vegetables, and vitamins to plastic bags that were sealed, labeled, and boxed. The group consisting of some 100 people of all ages packaged 60,000 meals in about three hours.

Building playgrounds and storytelling are important work for KATW but, in some regions of the world, particularly Africa, providing food is the most essential part of the program. To that end, KATW relies on volunteers throughout the United States to package food that will be distributed to needy families in foreign countries. The volunteer groups are recruited and hosted by churches, colleges, high schools, and organizations like Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs.

In addition to recruiting volunteers to pack the meals, the church had to raise about $17,000 to fund the project. VFW Post 845 aided in that effort by donating $500.

Representing Post 845 were Commander Ernie Griffith, Senior Vice Commander Thomas Flick and his wife Lori, Junior Vice Commander Vanessa Barron, Post Adjutant Marty Peterson, Bob Fernholz, Pete Laporati, Phil Heth and wife Rosemary, and John Mitchell.