What is Feed the Hunger?
Feed the Hunger (FtH) is a Christian non-profit established in 1968. We focus on feeding the spiritual and physical hunger in needy people, especially children, by partnering with local pastors and church planters. The main way we help is through producing nutritious meals using a food packing event, the Packathon. FtH also supplies other resources such as water, medicine, clothing, shelter, and Bibles. Wherever possible, we desire to share the gospel of Christ as the hope of the world for recipients of our help.
What is a Packathon?
A Packathon is a single or multi-day food packing event in which volunteers package fully nutritious meals for children in FtH-established programs in America, Haiti, Kenya, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Jamaica. FtH welcomes help from anyone in packaging our food, regardless of faith or background. A Packathon uses workers from churches, community organizations, businesses, and schools that give money and time to feed needy children, committing to a two-hour packing shift during the event. At the shift, participants will assemble four kinds of bulk ingredients into packaged bags containing six servings each.
Where does the food go?
We freely distribute the nutritious food produced at a Packathon to those in need, regardless of their beliefs. Most of the food is distributed in Feed the Hunger feeding programs maintained by international church partners in extreme poverty settings. FtH also distributes food in some of the poorest areas of the United Sates, such as Eastern Kentucky, and through local food relief partners in North Carolina. Should you desire, your church or organization may also retain a portion or all of what you package to address the hunger needs in your own community or share with your mission contacts overseas.
How much does it cost to host a Packathon?
The cost of an event depends on the amount of meals you wish to produce. We can design an event that fits your budget and interest level. Each meal costs $0.37, so if a host wants to pack 100,000 meals, the cost of the event will be $37,000. As Feed the Hunger is a non-profit organization, these funds go to cover the real costs of obtaining ingredients, shipping, and getting the food onto the plates of hungry children and their families.
What are the minimum-sized events that can be held?
Depending on your proximity to Burlington, NC, FtH can come to your location for a food packing event for as small as 10,000 meals. For locations outside of North Carolina, check out our new Packathon Express, offering the full Packathon experience anywhere in the continental US! We feel confident we can design an event that fits your budget.
What does the host need to provide for the event?
The host location needs to provide the people to perform the tasks, the sponsorship of the meals, and a facility space that has 4 standard items: tables, parking lot, audio/visual needs, and a sink.
Are there age limits for volunteers?
Packathons are great for those ages 5 to 105. It is a multi-generational activity.
Can anyone participate?
Feed the Hunger is a Christian non-profit organization with sincerely held religious beliefs. While all individuals are welcome to participate in a Packathon, we reserve the right to determine appropriate dress and behavior. Further, we reserve the right not to partner with potential Packathon host locations that do not align with our religious beliefs.
How are Feed the Hunger events publicized?
Feed the Hunger will work with you in communicating the event to your audience and the public. You will receive PDF files of a promotional flyer and videos to duplicate and distribute. You may create additional materials or web pages with the Feed the Hunger logo and images, but we ask that we be able to view them before they are publicized.