Impact Lives event needs more volunteers, funding

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Big goals require plenty of help.

Deb Weitala is confident that help will be at the Corn Palace on May 7 to package the millionth meal for Impact Lives, but she’d feel a lot more comfortable if folks would sign up early — and soon.

“I could use about 400 more workers to work from noon to 4 p.m.,” said Weitala, a ministry assistant at Mitchell’s Northridge Baptist Church and organizer of the event.

This is the third year the Minnesota-based food relief agency will visit Mitchell. Volunteers packaged 330,000 meals in 2009 and the same number in 2010. The rice-based nutrition mixture is used to help the hungry in countries throughout the world.

This year, the Impact Lives event will add 10,000 more meals to its packaging goals, hopefully bringing the three-year total for Mitchell volunteers to 1 million meals.

“Another 10,000 meals is just 46 more boxes,” Weitala said. But the effort will require more hands on deck.

Last year, volunteers packaged food in five shifts, but this year Weitala hopes to do it in four.

“Ramon says we can do it in four shifts and I hope he’s right,” she said, referring to Impact Lives President Ramon Pastrano.

About 700 volunteers have signed up to date and about 500 more will be needed to get the job done. Individuals and teams from churches, clubs, civic organizations and businesses are signing up daily, she said.

Fundraising is also picking up steam.

About $24,000 has been collected toward the $85,000 it will take to get the job done.

“I have a couple of larger donations coming in,” Weitala said, “but I really need everyone to be a part of it.”

All donations to the 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization are welcome, she said. It costs 25 cents to package one meal and $54 for a box of food.

Weitala said she can also use anyone who is able to work the entire day at the Impact Lives event.

“We’d love to have 50 people assigned all day to help with coordination efforts,” she said, “and we have about 30 right now.”

Donations may be made by writing a check to Impact Lives and sending it care of Northridge Baptist Church, P.O. Box 631, Mitchell, S.D. 57301. For additional volunteering information, contact Weitala at 999-8994.

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