Creve Coeur To Serve As The Hub Of Activity For World Food Day

Editor's Note: The following information was provided by the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.

Creve Coeur and St. Louisans are invited to a community event this week to commemorate World Food Day hosted by , a not-for-profit working to eradicate malnutrition and preserve the planet through plant science. World Food Day marks the founding of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization and is designed to increase awareness, understanding and informed, year around action to alleviate hunger.

This Friday, October 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 3,000 volunteers will package 500,000 rice/soy protein meals for critically malnourished people in sub-Saharan Africa.  Adults and children (as young as seven with an adult) are invited to be part of volunteer teams working in an assembly-line formation to put together the ingredients into a packet that feeds up to six children. The packets will then be sealed and delivered to malnourished children and adults living in villages in sub-Saharan Africa.

Each package provides nutritionally complete servings for six children. The food is designed to reverse the starvation process, help restore health, and improve mental and physical alertness. The sealed packages have a shelf life of three years. The cost of each life-sustaining meal is approximately 25 cents. Built into this cost are all the ingredients, packaging, administration, and international shipping of the food. Our partner, Outreach International, has agreed to deliver our meals – primarily to school feeding programs in sub-Saharan Africa or for use in emergency relief situations as the need arises. These costs will be covered by donations from the volunteers: students are asked to contribute $10. Adults are asked to contribute $20. Their tax-deductible contributions will be matched by other generous donors and sponsors so that the full cost of a one hour packaging session - approximately $35 per person - is covered.

Following the packaging experience, volunteers are invited to participate in "Bringing Science to Life," a series of science-based learning activities that further illuminate the work of the Danforth Center, and the powerful role plant science plays in bettering the planet and its people. The interactive exhibit for adults and young people will feature scientists from the Center’s international team (who hail from 22 countries) and include everything from the opportunity to learn how to grow a potato from a small cutting, to games and activities conveyed through exhibits, technology and demonstrations as well as the chance to sample staple crops from around the world.

The Danforth Center is focused on eradicating malnutrition and the many diseases and other challenges related to it through science – fortification of crops to make them not only more nutritious but more plentiful and resistant to disease and drought conditions. After packaging meals in a one hour shift to immediately address a global food crisis, volunteers will be offered the opportunity to tour the Center and its greenhouses, meet members of the international team and explore the long-term health and hunger solutions that drive much of the Center’s research.

“We are grateful to many dedicated volunteers working on this project for creating an opportunity for St. Louisans to help immediately feed the hungry while learning about how science can help address this issue on a long-term, global scale,” said William H. Danforth, chair, Danforth Plant Science Center.

Locally, the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry will be collecting nonperishable canned goods at the Danforth Center. Look for the designated collection barrels at the entrance to the Center.  They thank you in advance for your support.

In addition, from October 3-16 is “Scan and Give” at Schnucks to benefit the Danforth Center’s World Food Day.

Details and registration information can be found at www.danforthcenter.org/worldfoodday.