Special needs students package meals for Haiti - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Special needs students package meals for Haiti

Posted: Updated:

  • More WALB News10 HeadlinesMore News Headlines

  • Monday, May 20 2013 2:25 PM EDT2013-05-20 18:25:47 GMT
    Dougherty County Commissioners unanimously denied a $15,000 for the National Youth Sports Program during Monday's Commission meeting. Robert Skinner, the NYSP director, outlined the program's services,
    Dougherty County Commissioners unanimously denied a $15,000 for the National Youth Sports Program during Monday's Commission meeting.

  • Monday, May 20 2013 2:15 PM EDT2013-05-20 18:15:09 GMT
    The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating an officer involved shooting in Lakeland. Saturday night around 9:00, 42-year-old Tim Blanton was shot at 196 North Highway 135. GBI agents are
    Saturday night around 9:00, 42-year-old Tim Blanton was shot at 196 North Highway 135. GBI agents are investigating two officers who were involved, a Lanier Co. Sheriff's deputy and a GSP trooper.

  • Monday, May 20 2013 11:25 AM EDT2013-05-20 15:25:03 GMT
    Two men, one black and one white, burst into the Petro Store at the intersection of Highway 200 and Highway 45 Sunday night, and attacked the clerk, stealing money. The victim told authorities that the
    Two men, one black and one white, burst into the Petro Store at the intersection of Highway 200 and Highway 45 Sunday night, and attacked the clerk, stealing money.
    •   

By LeiLani Golden - bio | email

CAIRO, GA (WALB) - Some special needs students from Thomas County Central High School are helping to feed the Haiti earthquake survivors.

They spent the day putting together pre-packaged meals as part of the Kids Against Hunger program based out of Cairo.

Dominic Reddick saw the images of Haiti after the devastating earthquake and knew something needed to be done.

"Earthquake has been erupted in Haiti and they need some kind of help," said an emotional Reddick.

So help is what these special needs students are giving. They're packaging non-perishable meals to send to a country so desperately in need.

"Wherever it goes in the world it is nutritionally sound," said co-founder and director of Kids Against Hunger Cairo, Anne Horne. "It doesn't just fill the hollow hole, it rebuilds their immune system."

But the joy of lending a helping hand isn't the only lesson these kids are learning.

"Very good job skill training for these kids to get opportunities to work in the community when they graduate," said their teacher, Betty Worthington.

Each student has a job at one of the three tables on the assembly line.

"Kids put the labels on the bags," continued Worthington. "Then they go to the assembly line. And the first step is the yellow protein, then our vegetables, then our soy and then we have our rice. Then we take the bags and they are weighed and vacuumed sealed."

The last step of the assembly process happens to also be my favorite, pounding the bags to make them flat for the boxes.

The boxes contains 36 bags of food which feed six people each. That means one box, which costs only $55, can feed 216 people.

"Last Saturday we had a group that packaged 50,000 meals and they are already in Haiti as we speak," said a proud Horne.

The special needs students are proud to be a part of the Haitian relief.

"I'll do whatever I can to make Haiti feel better," exclaimed Reddick.

And these kids are doing just that, making Haiti feel better with every completed bag of food.

If you'd like to sponsor a Kids Against Hunger meal packaging event, you can call their office at (229) 377-0968 or visit their web site at www.kahcairo.org.

 

©2010 WALB News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Feedback