I stand at my station. Ready. Ready to take the next package of nutritious rice, dried vegetables and essential vitamins and seal it. Pausing for a moment, I shift my glance from the package to the crowd of students each wearing their own white hairnet. At the table next to mine I hear laughter and see glowing smiles. Each of these people, still only children, were working to save the lives of starving people and I was a part of it. I look back at the package now in my hands and see it not just as ingredients, but as the meal that could save a child’s life and I think, if only we could do more to help.

Forty-thousand children around the world die each day from starvation and hunger related diseases. A group of Albert Lea High School students are working with an organization called Kids Against Hunger to bring the Albert Lea community together to help feed the hungry in Haiti. This organization works to bring nutritious food to all of the desperate people around the world.

Our goal is to raise $50,000 so we can package 250,000 meals. Wait! This lofty goal is extremely achievable. If everyone in Albert Lea alone gave $2.30 the goal would be exceeded. But, it is not all about the money. You can participate by helping package the meals, which will take place on Feb. 28, 2009 in the high school gym.

Haiti was bombarded with hurricanes and its people are now suffering through repercussions of lost homes as well as the small amount of belongings they had. Their death totals for children under five tops the charts in the Western Hemisphere. Many parents in Haiti are forced to give their children away to work as household servants called restavecks. These children clean and do household chores for others, who are poor themselves, to get minuscule amounts of food as payment. The restavecks are usually overlooked when distributing relief food because they don’t have mothers, who are the only ones allowed to wait in line for the resources. Kids Against Hunger is working specifically to get the food to these extremely needy children.

Haiti is in desperate need of assistance and we are so capable of helping. What could you give up in your day to save $2.30 to contribute?

At the high school, many students buy bottled drinks or items in addition to their lunch. Would we be willing to sacrifice getting these frills for a day or two? The money from one bottled beverage alone, nearly six children in Haiti could have a meal.

We in Albert Lea are more capable than we think. Even the students have a lot to offer. A meal costs 23 cents; this includes the ingredients and the shipping expenses. With your $2.30, you could purchase 10 meals.

We in America have so much. This holiday season I got to spend time with friends as we enjoyed laughs while lavishly spreading frosting and shaking brilliantly colored sprinkles over sugar cookies. The break from school provided time to relax with family. For most of the Haitian children doing these holiday activities would only be a dream.

While we enjoy the holiday season, let’s take this chance to give a little to those in Haiti. They need nutritious food, which we can easily provide for them if we work together as a community.

If you are finically stretched this holiday season, you can still help feed the people of Haiti by helping package the meals on Feb. 28. Anyone over the age of seven can help. This is an opportunity to get together with your family and friends to make a real difference.

If you would like more information about how you can help, call (507) 402-3781 or to volunteer on Feb. 28th, don’t hesitate to call (507) 402-4834.

The best part about this project is if we work together as a community we can accomplish a lot.

This is a goal we can make happen.

Meagan Hickman is a senior at Albert Lea High School. At the high school, she is involved in Link Crew and is co-editor of the Ahlahasa student newspaper. She is a member of Paths to Peace.