Colorado Feeding Kids Helps Provide 50,000 Meals For Harvey Victims
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - Many Coloradans began the holiday weekend volunteering to help people in Texas.
About 70 volunteers came together in Englewood to support non-profit organization Colorado Feeding Kids package thousands of meals for Harvey survivors.
"We give most of our meals to local food banks," Colorado Feeding Kids President Kenward Bradley said. "What we have left over we ship to wherever we need them."
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, tens of thousands of people are filling up shelters and Texas food banks are scrambling to provide meals for those displaced. When 12-year-old Chris Herman of Erie, CO saw so many families struggling, he knew he needed to do something.
"I just feel bad for them," Herman told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann. "I want to help them."
That is why Herman, along with several other children, helped package about 15,000 meals made up of rice, beans, soy and dehydrated vegetables.
"They're all vitamin fortified nutritious meals," Bradley explained. "Each bag contains six meals."
Gabe Rodriguez, 8, and his little brother, Isaac, have family in Houston. While taking part in the packaging assembly lines Saturday morning, Gabe said he is putting the meals together in honor of his relatives and for other Harvey survivors.
"It's really fun," he said. "It's helping citizens."
"Yeah," little Isaac added as he stood next to his brother. "It's hard work, but we're helping citizens to get through that hurricane that they are going through. I feel like I'm helping the world to be safe."
Among the volunteers were members of the women's Skyline Chorus. As they packaged the vitamin-rich meals, they often sang to bring cheer to the morning project.
"Music is, especially creating harmony together, a way to bring people together," Vickie Maybury, Director of the Skyline Chorus, said. "We just feel like this was really important. It's always important to give back to the community."
Food banks in Texas are helping feed 30,000 people a day in Houston alone, Bradley said. Thanks to the volunteers and packages already prepared, 50,000 meals are now on the road from Colorado to the Lone Star State.
"Our mission is to help feed starving people here and around the world," Bradley said. "Certainly, if we can help people in Texas, that's a big part of our mission."
Colorado Feeding Kids is 100 percent donation based.
For more information on their mission and ways to get involved, visit www.cofeedingkids.org.
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Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team as the morning reporter in 2012. She now anchors CBS4 Weekend Morning News and covers a variety of stories around the state. Connect with Kelly on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @KellyCBS4.