Volunteers in Sycamore pack food for starving children around the world

SYCAMORE – It was a different kind of workout Thursday for fourth-grader Luke Larkins at the Cornerstone Christian Academy gym.

Luke was shoveling scoops of rice into large containers for about two hours as he struggled to keep up with the hundreds of volunteers who fervently packed rice, soy, vegetables and a vitamin and mineral blend into small pouches that will be sent to starving children around the world.

"It's harder than it looks," he said as he spun around after getting another scoop from the massive bag of rice. "I'm just trying to not spill everywhere."

Luke was one of 280 volunteers who gathered during the afternoon shift at Cornerstone Christian Academy to help with the Make a Difference 2K11 event in coordination with the Feed My Starving Children organization. Thursday was the beginning of a four-day event that aims to bag 720,000 meals for children around the globe.

Greg Howells, who organized the event, said the drive to the goal got off to a good start as the morning shift volunteers packed more than 50,000 meals. The shift in the afternoon was on pace to break the same barrier, and an evening shift had its sights on the same goal. All three shifts had 280 volunteers.

"There are 18,000 kids that die of starvation every day," Howells said. "We feel it doesn't have to be that way."

Vic Graff, who serves on the board for Cornerstone, said he was glad to volunteer for an event that feeds starving children at a time when many people will indulge in the luxury of large meals.

"There is an imbalance in the world," Graff said. "We're all getting ready to sit with our families at home and have great meals, so it is a good time to remember that there are others who are happy to just have food."

Many of the volunteers at the afternoon shift, such as Graff and Luke, were associated with Cornerstone.

Matt Anderson, a science teacher at the school, said he has been active with the Feed My Starving Children organization for the past three years, including last year's event at the academy. Howells also organized the event last year, which saw volunteers pack 586,000 meals.

"It's a great cause, and it really brings the school together," Anderson said. "The kids love it."

One student who enjoyed the opportunity was senior Becca Bartels, who said she participated in the event last year and found it a rewarding experience that she didn't want to pass up. While she has gone on other mission trips, Bartels said doing charity work with friends in the local community makes the experience more meaningful.

"It's a good time to hang out and take the two hours out of your day to help someone," she said.

Other groups volunteering included Trinity Lutheran Church in Genoa, which committed more than 100 members to the event, and even the Kellogg Co. in Elmhurst.

Clint Vanlaningham, who works at Kellogg, said The Suter Co. – which will host the food-packing drive today through Sunday – invited employees at the Elmhurst business to come to the event.  

Vanlaningham said he enjoyed that the volunteers were working with something real that they know will end up in the hands of those that need it.

"I'll be going to Guatemala soon, so it's pretty cool to know something I'm doing here could end up over there for people who need it," he said.

The Make a Difference 2K11 event continues today at The Suter Co. from 3:30-5:30 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m. There also will be four shifts Saturday and three Sunday for those interested in volunteering.