Wisconsin Ag Connection - Potato Growers to Hold Meal Packing Event

Wisconsin Ag News Headlines

Potato Growers to Hold Meal Packing Event
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 05/26/2017

The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association and the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary are once again sponsoring a potato-meal packing event to help feed hungry children in other countries. Members of the groups will gather at the Stevens Point Municipal Airport on June 17 to pack 100,000 servings of MannaPack Potato meals, developed by the non-profit Christian charitable organization, Feed My Starving Children. MannaPack Potato servings are formulated to prevent starvation in children using dehydrated potatoes, vitamins and minerals.

The groups have been packing the meals for the past six years. Hundreds of volunteers will be working two-hour shifts throughout the day.

"Giving the gift of your time is very rewarding," said Paula Houlihan, a member of the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary board and event coordinator. "It's a simple, but powerful process. We offer volunteers the choice of where they want to donate their time, whether it's filling bags, sealing packs, refilling ingredients or stacking filled boxes for shipping. We also continuously show a video from FMSC about the potato packs and stories about the children who benefit from them. It's very moving."

Members of the Wisconsin potato industry have been strong supporters of the FMSC meal packing program since the idea was introduced here several years ago. Mike Carter, CEO of Bushmans’ Inc., Rosholt, heard about the program through the United States Potato Board, and has spearheaded the fundraising efforts in Wisconsin.

Other Wisconsin Headlines