Youth serve others

Olivia Benter doesn't have to worry about where her next meal will come from, but she knows other children do.

That's why the 10-year-old said she felt good about helping make thousands of meals Sunday afternoon for starving children here and around the world.
"I like helping other people," Benter said, while taking her turn to scoop soy and dehydrated vegetables into bags.

As part of St. John's Lutheran Church, Sauers, youth group, Benter joined more than 250 youth and adult volunteers from Lutheran churches across Jackson and Jennings counties in Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' Kids Against Hunger project.

Thrivent is a membership organization that provides financial services and charitable outreach programs to Lutheran congregations and communities.

The Kids Against Hunger event took place in two shifts in the gymnasium at Immanuel Lutheran School in Seymour. In between the afternoon and evening sessions, volunteers enjoyed a meal and door prizes, courtesy of the local Thrivent Financial group.

In just more than five hours of assembly line work, volunteers were able to put together 36,000 bagged meals. Each meal consisted of rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and powdered chicken with essential vitamins and nutrients. Most supplies were paid for by the regional Thrivent group. Another food packing blitz is to take place in Cincinnati in November. Collectively, Thrivent members anticipate preparing a total of 900,000 meals.

Many of the food bags packaged Sunday were to stay in Jackson County, going to Community Provisions, Red Cross and Anchor House, said Carolyn Shoemaker of Trinity Lutheran Church in Vallonia. Another big portion of the supply was to be shipped to Haiti, one of the joint mission areas for Jackson County Lutheran congregations.

Each bag is enough for six meals and the 36,000 bags will feed more than 144,000 people. Since the food is rice-based and contains dehydrated and powdered products, those who receive the food need only to add water to cook it.

As an employee with Thrivent Financial, Shoemaker said she was proud of the work the organization and churches were doing.

"It's a wonderful feeling to know that our members have an opportunity to help others in our local community and around the world," Shoemaker said.

She explained that Thrivent participates in three different care programs: Care in Congregations, Care Abounds in Communities and Care in Regions. The Kids Against Hunger project was just one of those categorized in Care Abounds in Communities.

Donning a red T-shirt with the slogan "I helped pack 900,000 meals for hungry kids," and a hairnet, Benter said she was glad she could help.

"I think this is a good thing because it wouldn't be fun to be hungry," she said.

Also helping was 17-year-old Jonathan Bruce of Zion Lutheran Church.

"I've been doing a lot to help out, because I don't want to just sit around all day," Bruce said.

He decided to get involved with the project after a Lutheran pastor from Haiti recently spoke at his church.

"Pastor Bernard came to our church and told us what it was like for the children in Haiti and how poor they are," Bruce said. "After hearing that, I felt like I needed to do something to help."

Jamie Wehmiller, 16, of Trinity Lutheran in Vallonia agreed.

"I just wanted to help the community," she said. "And I've learned a lot about Haiti and they need food really bad."

Barbara Otte, financial director for the local Thrivent chapter board and a member of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Brownstown, said Thrivent has contributed funds to many local charities and projects, including flood relief, helping a local resident rid her home of mold that was causing her family health problems, Camp Lakeview, raising money for a little girl who was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease and brain cancer, Trinity Lutheran High School and others.

In response to the Kids Against Hunger project, Otte said it not only benefits hungry children but all the youth who participated.

"It's great for the kids to do something like this," she said. "It really makes you stop and think how lucky we are."

For 9-year-old Kenny Hessong of St. John, Sauers, it was a special day.

"Today is my birthday," he said. "But I don't mind being here. I think it's fun because I like helping people. It's definitely one way to spend a birthday."

Hessong and his brother Herbert, 10, helped carry and stack boxes after they were filled with bags of food.

"At first I didn't want to help, but now I find it's fun," Herbert added. "I've carried at least 30 boxes already. I feel very good about it."

Jeanie Schneider, youth coordinator for the local Thrivent chapter board and a member of Immanuel Lutheran, said it took a lot of work and coordination to plan the project, but it was all worth it.

"We've been working on this since July," she said of planning the project. "I think it's good that the kids learn about volunteering at a young age. It's good to see all the youth from the different churches come together for something like this."

Pam Stuckwisch of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Seymour was happy to be able to do what she could to help others.

"I think it's a great project that we can come together to help people in our community and around the world," she said. "Just being a member of Thrivent, I try to help out wherever I can."