MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL AIR RESERVE STATION, Minn. --
Continuing a tradition of selfless service, Airmen of the 934th Airlift Wing volunteered with the nonprofit organization Feed My Starving Children on February 2, 2023.
Several members of the wing met at the FMSC facility in Eagan, Minn., where they joined other volunteers from the local community to pack 64 boxes of food with 13,824 meals. These meals were estimated to be able to feed 38 children for a year.
“It brings an added sense of meaning to the weekend,” said Major Len Brokenshire, 934th Airlift Wing deputy wing chaplain. “It makes you more culturally aware of the suffering around the world.”
Brokenshire, who organized the event, had worked with FMSC previously while working as a pastor in Iowa. He felt that group-oriented volunteer events were both more engaging and enjoyable, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic.
“We’re so isolated, especially after COVID,” he said. “To have an event where you can enjoy spending time together and doing something meaningful is a taste of how important fellowship is.”
The event itself, which centers around teams working together to pack bags full of essential foods like rice, soy and vitamins, is highly collaborative, and helps to bring teams together while also making an impact on populations in need across the world.
Prior to packing, volunteers watched a video featuring stories of children and families who were positively affected by the meals FMSC packed.
“It puts life in perspective when you see that some people are struggling in this way,” said Brokenshire. “It’s so easy to see a problem where you don’t know what to do to help the problem. This is an opportunity to respond and do something.”
Brokenshire said he plans to start recurring volunteer events, including with FMSC, and believes it can benefit volunteers mentally.
“It helps the individual dealing with something,” he said. “It takes the focus off of the struggle you have and brings you into a community.”