A year ago, the Hesston College community partnered with Numana, Inc., for the organization’s first State-Wide Packaging Event (SWIPE), to work toward alleviating world hunger. The event was a success for Numana and for Hesston College.
Numana is an international hunger relief organization based in El Dorado, Kan., that facilitates volunteer food-packaging events throughout the country and sends the meals world-wide to areas where famine and hunger are greatest.
Last year about 470 students, faculty, staff and community volunteers packaged 51,296 meals and raised the money necessary to cover the preparation and shipping costs.
The college will sponsor their second SWIPE event on-campus from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Oct. 20, in the Hesston College Campus Activities Center. About 400 student, faculty, staff and community volunteers are needed to package the meals in shifts from 9:30 to 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 to 2:30 p.m.
“Helping with the Numana project last year made me so thankful for what I have, especially food, because many people don’t know when or where their next meal will come from,” said sophomore Kayla Stevenson of Meade, Kan.
The college is also working to raise $11,500 to purchase, prepare and ship the food packets to their final destination in the horn of Africa.
To donate to the project, send donations to Hesston College, Attn: Russ Gaeddert, Box 3000, Hesston, KS, 67062. Checks should be made payable to Numana with “Hesston College project” in the memo line. Donations can also be made online through numanainc.com under “Upcoming Events,” and donating to the Hesston College event.
Each meal packet feeds six people and consists of rice, soy protein, pinto beans and 21 vitamins and minerals. The college’s goal is to package 8,333 meals, which will feed 50,000 people.
To volunteer to help package meals, contact Russ Gaeddert at 620-327-8294 or email russg@hesston.edu.
“The Numana event helps bring the community together, and I hope it makes people realize not to take what they have for granted,” said Stevenson.