Feed the Need brings churches together

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Laura Schreiber of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, pictured here in Mozambique, held a fundraising last year to help raise money for a health clinic there. The church has an on-going relationship with the community. | Submitted by Sara Gmitro of Our Saviours Lutheran Church

At a Glance

What: Feed the Need

When: Feb. 17 through 19

Where: Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church’s Celebration Community Center, 919 Washington St., Naperville

How to help: While volunteer slots are likely to have been filled, donations will be gratefully accepted.

On the Web: To learn more about Feed My Starving Children, visit www.fmsc.org

Article Extras

Updated: March 11, 2012 8:35AM

Sara Gmitro and Pastor Mark Borgetti of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church have a theory that’s proving to be true.

“We’ll note that if good things come together easily, it must be a God idea and not just a good idea. Things have fallen into place here so it feels like it’s meant to be,” said Gmitro.

From Feb. 17 through 19, about 1,100 people from four Naperville Lutheran churches will join forces, for the first time, to volunteer for Feed the Need sponsored by Feed My Starving Children’s MobilePack. During the weekend, volunteers from Our Saviour’s, Good Shepherd, Alleluia and St. Timothy’s Lutheran churches will pack 175,000 meals for the Christian not-for-profit’s MobilePack, which comes onsite to churches and organizations for food packaging events to feed the hungry.

The idea came about as Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church member Les May decided he was interested in coordinating an event with Feed My Starving Children.

“He’d heard about people in the northern suburbs doing something similar, creating 800,000 meals. It was a big community event,” Gmitro said.

The requirements for hosting Feed My Starving Children’s MobilePack include committing to raise at least $24,000 and pack 100,000 meals.

“A lot of churches can’t come up with that individually, but we thought that if we all partner together, we could do it,” Gmitro said.

The decision was made to invite three other Lutheran churches and the resulting fit has been perfect.

“It’s been great. We’re so excited to partner with everyone, said Jean Jepson, director of communications for Our Saviour’s. “We all have different strengths within the community. We’re figuring out what each others’ strengths are and helping others in need.”

Robert Huebner of St. Timothy’s needed help getting manpower.

“(He) is good at fundraising but the church is smaller. He could rustle up the money but needed help with volunteers,” Gmitro said. “Our Saviour’s is the opposite. He’s teaching us about fundraising, and we’re getting volunteers. It’s a great partnership.”

The four churches were ultimately able to commit to $42,000 for 175,000 meals.

In addition to packaging meals, Feed My Starving Children will hold a marketplace, featuring crafts and T-shirts from other countries. There also will be a display about an AIDS clinic in Mozambique, with which Our Saviour’s has an ongoing mission relationship.

“We have been partnering with them for about three years,” Gmitro said.

The clinic will be a recipient of meals from Feed My Starving Children as a result of this event.

Feed the Need has generated so much excitement that the coordinators are already considering plans for its sequel next year, which would ideally bring in additional partners.

“We’d like to pack 300,000 or half-a-million meals, but we’d need to raise more money and get more churches involved,” Gmitro said. “We’d love to get a lot of churches involved.” “It’s all the same God. It’s fun when mission or other types of activities transcend any theological differences. We’d love working with non-Lutheran churches, too. It makes the activity richer. We learn from each other, and ultimately it is the same God.”

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