By Lauri Lee
Northside News

 Mendota Cares and Shares event Thursday, April 4, from 5:30–7:30 pm, is an opportunity for Mendota Elementary Community School students and their families to make a difference for good and touch thousands of lives for those less fortunate in other areas of the world. This is the second year that Mendota has provided volunteers and hosted the project with their ongoing community school partner, Door Creek Church.

Volunteers will pack 30,000 meals to send to Mission of Hope in Zoranje, Haiti. Numana is the coordinating organization, which supplies all of the components and facilitates volunteers to measure the ingredients; scoop food items into meal bags; weigh and seal the bags; and box the finished meal packs for international shipping.

Each meal will provide 70 percent of a child’s nutritional needs for a day and feed students of an entire school for over a year. The meals consist of rice, soy protein, freeze-dried pinto beans and a blend of vitamins and minerals targeted to help the immune system of malnourished people. The life-sustaining meal ingredients, packaging, administration and international shipping cost only 30 cents.

Volunteers are encouraged to participate in helping with this event being held at Mendota Elementary Community School, 4002 School Road. It’s a family affair that includes all ages from toddlers, children, teens and adults. Sign up at https://numana.formstack.com/forms/door_creek_school_events_2019. For questions, please contact Sonia Spencer at stspencer@madison.k12.wi.us or call 204-7862.