When Willow began to dialogue with Feed My Starving Children regarding where the meals we pack would go, we asked them to give us several options in areas where they have the greatest urgency. Zimbabwe was one of a handful of countries we were asked to consider. Although we have no Global Connections church partners in Zimbabwe, the situation in that country grabbed our attention.

The presidential election at the end of March has put Zimbabwe in the news and results have yet to be made public. Robert Mugabe, who presided over one of the greatest macro-economic meltdowns in history, is still seeking to retain power—even after 28 years of disastrous results in his country. Severe drought in some parts of the country and flooding in other areas have further reduced food supplies. Zimbabwe has gone from being the breadbasket in sub-Saharan Africa to a country that now has an annual inflation rate of over 100,000%. The average yearly income in Zimbabwe is $340 compared to $44,970 in the U.S. With the escalating global food crisis in developing countries, Zimbabwe has been one of the hardest hit. The Food and Agriculture Organization, an arm of the United Nations, has declared that Zimbabwe is one of six countries classified as being in a state of “exceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies.”

WHO IS GETTING THE FOOD?
Feed My Starving Children, a Christian organization, collects donations to purchase the food then ships them to qualified partners in some 50 countries. They have sent several shipments to Zimbabwe in the past year.

The partners in Zimbabwe who will receive the meal packs designated for children are World Vision Zimbabwe and Joint Aid Management. World Vision Zimbabwe has had a presence in this country since 1975; Joint Aid Management is a 23-year-old Christian relief and development organization founded in South Africa. These partners work with 48 primary schools and pre-schools. Because of a desperate need to find food, children are leaving school. Making food available will be an incentive for them to return to their classes. At one school, attendance increased from 50% to 90% once the feeding program was launched.

HOW CAN WE BE CONFIDENT THERE WILL BE SAFE DELIVERY OF THE MEAL PACKS?
Feed My Starving Children has been in the business of sending food around the globe since 1991. They have a stellar track record of getting food to their partners, even in challenging situations. To date they have lost only one shipment. They do not work directly with governments but instead, they deliver directly to the partners. Before they move the food, they wait for a “thumbs up” from both the shipping company and the partners on the field.

Given current realities in Zimbabwe, we need to add our prayers to those of Feed My Starving Children, World Vision Zimbabwe, and Joint Aid Management for safe delivery of the nutritionally complete meals to the children.

“Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.” Isaiah 1:17 (NLT)

A $50 donation will purchase 333 meals. A $150 contribution can purchase 1,000 meals—enough to feed 30 children for over one month.
Who knew so little could do so much! Print this chart for your use.

Can young children attend and/or participate with packing Meal Packs?
Children over the age of 5 can attend and participate in packing food. Minors must be accompanied/supervised by a parent or legal guardian.

What should I wear to the food packing?
Dress casually and comfortably. Most tasks will be performed standing, so wear comfortable shoes. For safety reasons, all shoes must be closed-toe.

What can I expect at the food packing event?
Plan to arrive 10 minutes prior to your shift time. A brief orientation will be given by a Feed My Starving Children staff member, followed by training and instructions on how to pack food and perform the other tasks for your shift. The next 1 ½ hours of your shift will be spent packing food. Refer to the [food packing] video to get a glimpse of the experience.

What time should I arrive?
Plan to arrive 10 minutes prior to your assigned shift time. And remember to leave enough time to find parking and locate the packing room.

What if I need to cancel my registration to pack food?
Please notify us as soon as you know that you will not be able to attend so that someone else can take your place. This will ensure that we can meet our production goal of 3.5 million meals. Send an e-mail to: globalconnections@willowcreek.org and include “cancellation” in the subject line.

Who is paying for the 3.5 million meals?
Through our limiting of consumption, the Willow family will make donations to the Celebration of Hope 08 campaign. Those donations will be directed, first of all, towards paying for the 3.5 million meals. Whatever funds that are raised beyond that need will be directed towards other endeavors to fight global hunger.

How will these 3.5 million meals be distributed?
With the help of Feed My Starving Children, we have identified an immediate need of 10,000 school children who need nourishment. The 3.5 million meals that we are sponsoring will be distributed through some schools in Zimbabwe to feed these 10,000 children and therefore allow them to attend school. (They currently do not have enough food to eat and therefore do not attend school.)

If your question has not been answered, send the Global Connections Team an email at: globalconnections@willowcreek.org We will try to respond to your email within a couple of business days.