In this country we are blessed with an abundance of food and most of us take for granted that we will be eating several times today. For many of our brothers and sisters around the world the next meal is not a given and may not happen at all. The good news is you can help provide nutritious meals to those in need. The Rotary Club of Tryon, in partnership with the organization Stop Hunger Now, will hold a meal-packaging event on Saturday, April 9, at Polk County High School.

Stop Hunger Now, or SHN, is a food packaging organization that supplies food to help relieve hunger all over the world. They provide meals that are complete, nutritious, and include rice, vegetables, protein and vitamins. The meals are dehydrated and ready to eat by adding water heated to 150 degrees.

SHN partners with communities and organizations to donate 25 cents per meal packaged to purchase the ingredients and provide for administrative costs. They have earned a four-star rating for their effective management of finances. If you would like to learn more about Stop Hunger Now you can visit their website at www.stophungernow.org.

The Rotary Club of Tryon’s hope for this year is to raise enough funds to provide 30,000 meals for the children of Haiti. The meals will be stored at the Haiti Outreach Ministries secure warehouse and be prepared each day for the children who attend school. Some days this is the only meal these children will receive. Living in the land of plenty we are blessed with an abundance of food and most of us take for granted that we will be eating several times today.  For many of the people of Haiti, and especially the children, the next meal is not a given but a daily challenge.

This is a community event and everyone is invited to help pack meals. Urge your friends, family and friends to join in. Two shifts are available, the first from 8 to 10 a.m. and the second from 10 a.m. – noon. Contact Larry Boyd at retschpsych@gmail.com or Meshelle Colvin at 894-2693 or meshelle.colvin@slhnc.org. Contributions can be sent to the Rotary Club of Tryon Foundation, PO Box 923, Tryon NC 29782. Checks should be made payable to RCOTF and please put “Haiti” in the memo line.

I hope to see you there.

Betty Ramsey
Publisher