Community members packed into FHSU’s Forsyth Library with one goal—package 60,000 meals to be sent around the world.

Last Saturday, Fort Hays State University sponsored a meal packaging event for a group called Numana. According to the organization’s website, the program is based in El Dorado, Kan. and sends nutrition-rich meals to worldwide locations to combat hunger and malnutrition. Since its’ founding in 2008, over 170,000 volunteers have packaged over 27 million meals around the country.

“This is the third year FHSU has hosted Numana,” co-coordinator Brenna Johnson said. “This is also my third year of participation. My first year I packaged the meals, and last year I was a table leader.”

Johnson said that 320 volunteers participated in this year’s event, packaging a total of 62, 140 meals in approximately three hours. Each meal feeds six people.

“20,000 meals are for domestic use and will be kept on-campus for students, Hays community members, and any disaster relief missions,” Johnson said. “The rest are sent to a refugee camp in Rwanda, Africa.”

Johnson said she fully supported the program.

“I think it’s a great program because people can work hands-on to help end hunger,” Johnson said. “It can be an eye-opening experience.”

FHSU student Becca Kohl has a slightly different participation experience.

“I’ve done this for two years now and videoed it both times,” Kohl said.

Kohl described the program as “fantastic.”

“It’s really cool we can do this in a local community for somewhere so far away,” Kohl said.

14nfeyerherm@usd489.com