First Presbyterian Awards $25,000 Grant to Feed My Starving Children

Christian hunger relief organization Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) has been awarded a $25,000 grant from First Presbyterian Church of Libertyville.

The grant, for the 18,000-square-foot meal packing site at 742 E. Park Ave. (Route 176) in Libertyville, will enable Feed My Starving Children to purchase needed materials and equipment to meet the Libertyville site goal of 16 million volunteer-packed meals in 2013, says Valencia Breckenridge, FMSC major gifts officer.

First Presbyterian Church of Libertyville, located at 219 W. Maple St., tithed 10 percent of the funds raised in a recent capital campaign and asked local nonprofits to apply for grants. 

“It has been a blessing,” says James King, member of the First Presbyterian mission committee.  He added that members of the church have volunteered at FMSC since the site opened in November. “The international work of Feed My Starving Children is what truly struck a chord with me. “

More than 300,000 Chicago area residents volunteer at FMSC sites in Aurora, Schaumburg and Libertyville each year.

Feed My Starving Children produces nutritious meals designed to restore malnourished children to full health. Volunteers hand-pack the meals, and they’re shipped to missions and humanitarian agencies working in 70 countries around the world. In addition to the Chicago-area packing sites, FMSC maintains three packing sites in Minnesota, and sites in Tempe and Phoenix, Ariz. Nationally, FMSC expects to provide a total of 195 million meals to starving children in 2013.

Each meal costs 22 cents to produce and 92 percent of all donations directly support the food program. All meals are packed by volunteers, who, along with donors, pay for 100 percent of FMSC meals. FMSC receives no government aid.

To volunteer and for more information, visit fmsc.org.

—Feed My Starving Children submitted this information.