FEEDtheHUNGRY
Since a new star first appeared above Bethlehem, Christmas has been a season of light, reminding us that Jesus Christ is the light of the world. Together, we can celebrate His birth by making the world a brighter place. All we have to do is follow Him—His life, His example, and His teachings. In doing so, we can help #LIGHTtheWORLD.
The Light the World initiative was developed by the LDS Church but we love the idea of filling the world with good so for those who want to get involved we’ve developed a “how to” for preparing weekend food bags for hungry kids that can be used for Day 7 of Light the World.
Here is a brief summary of the program from the church.
“Every day leading up to Christmas is a chance to look at the things Jesus Christ did and resolve to do the same. To help, we’ll be providing daily inspiration, suggestions, and encouragement on how we can follow the example of Jesus Christ and #LIGHTtheWORLD.”
Jesus fed the Hungry and So Can You
When a multitude of thousands gathered to hear Jesus speak, He miraculously turned five loaves and two fishes into a meal for all, leaving none hungry. Today, it is our opportunity to help feed others. You help make the Christmas season a feast for everyone.
-
How to Organize and Prepare Bags for Delivery to Tan’s Treats Hungry Kids.
By following the below instructions, each of the bags you prepare will feed 1 child for a typical 2 day weekend.
Steps:
- Decide how many bags you plan to pack as a family or group and gather the following supplies for each bag:
- 1 plastic grocery bag.
- 2 breakfast food items.
Here are some of the easiest examples of breakfast food items: instant oatmeal packets, pop tarts, individual serving cereal boxes, granola bars, cereal bars, etc. - 2 lunch food items.
We try to pack them at least one “protein” item per weekend. If the item is a canned meat/soup we ask that you try to get the “poptop” option because many of these children don’t have a way to open these cans on their own unless they are poptop. Some examples of lunch items: canned tuna, canned chicken, Vienna sausages, peanut butter crackers, fruit cups, cans of soup, individual precooked meals, etc. - 2 snack items.
We try to include at least 1 fruit item per bag. Here are some examples of snack foods: fruit cups, applesauce pouches, granola bars, individually wrapped cracker packets, chips, fruit bars, etc. - 2 dinner items.
Some examples of dinner items are: Easy mac bowls, chef boyardee individual meal poptop cans or bowls, cup of noodles, ramen noodles, cans of soup, etc. - Example:
- Assembly Line.We generally line up all the items on one counter top and make an assembly line. We (kids included) will grab a grocery bag and go down the line grabbing each item, placing it in the bag, then double knotting the bag at the end.
Each bag has a combination of 8 items for a regular 2 day weekend. - Deliver the Bags to Tan’s Treats!
We typically deliver bags to local schools for distribution to the kids early in the morning every Friday. Delivering your bags to Tan’s Treats on or before Thursday will help to get your bags delivered the week they are prepared.
The following items are picture examples of the “types” of food that are best to pack. BUT… Truly any easy open, individually packaged, non-perishable, easy to prepare item will work. A lot of these kids are preparing these meals on their own so we want them to be able to quickly and easily prepare it by themselves, if necessary.
“And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.”
Matthew 14:19
Remember to share your experience using the hashtag #LIGHTtheWORLD.
You must be logged in to post a comment.