Meals From The Heartland

Iowa Reaches Out…Find out how you can fight hunger.

Meals from the Heartland — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:47:55 +0000

Iowa Reaches Out – you can help feed the hungry!

“There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.” Deuteronomy 15:11

Join us to learn about opportunities for serving the hungry locally and globally through several hunger-relief organizations. Enjoy free dinner while viewing the KCCI special report “From Iowa to Africa”, then listen as Meals from the Heartland, Blessman Ministries, Lutheran Church of Hope and the Des Moines Area Religious Council food pantry share a wide range of opportunities for involvement. Ask questions of the groups and their volunteers, who can share their own experiences. Eric Hanson, KCCI news reporter, will also be available to discuss his experience and work on the South Africa story.

Download the event flyer here.

WHEN: Friday, March 30

6pm: Dinner (first come, first served)

6:30pm: Viewing of KCCI story,

“From Iowa to Africa”

7 pm: Discussion of opportunities/Questions

WHERE: The Bridge at

Lutheran Church of Hope

925 Jordan Creek Parkway

West Des Moines

For more information, contact Becki at Blessman Ministries 515-343-5920 or email office@blessmanministries.org

Heading Home

Meals from the Heartland — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:57:27 +0000

It is our last full day in South Africa. It has been truly amazing and eye-opening to see how far our meals go in this country. From schools, to orphanages, to churches to random families in need – our meals are truly filling stomachs and souls. The people are SO thankful for all that you do. Iowans have really made a difference and have saved lives – my heart is full! Thank you!

Zamokuhle Center for the Disabled

Meals from the Heartland — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:24:55 +0000

Today we visited the Zamokuhle Center for the Disabled. A 42-year-old woman named Nomangisi Mahlangu (pictured above) who has Cerebral Palsy, started the center in 2002 with 3 kids. She now has 35 kids who come to the center where they are provided with developmentally appropriate games and projects. They are also fed two meals a day, which she says are the only daily meals for many of the very poor kids. She told me without Meals from the Heartland, some days they wouldn’t have food to serve the kids. They were served big plates of food – again, all plates were EMPTY at the end of lunch! She told me to tell all of you “Thank you very much. We love the food. It is very helpful!” Pictured below is Ethel, 13-years-old. She was always smiling and laughing!

Feeding the Children

Meals from the Heartland — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:23:29 +0000

Today we visited the Moletlane Children’s Center in the morning. We had the great joy of playing with many little pre-schoolers. The teachers told us that the Meals from the Heartland food the kids receive at the center are often their only meals of the day. We later visited Rolihlahla Feeding Center (Nelson Mandela’s real first name), where we were introduced to 10-13 year olds, some of which were orphans. They, too, receive MftH food daily!

Helping People See

Meals from the Heartland — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:11:09 +0000

This woman runs a Children’s Center in South Africa where children receive Meals from the Heartland food. She is being interviewed by KCCI’s Eric Hanson. The KCCI interview is expected to air on Feb. 8 and Feb. 9 during the 10 p.m. news.

From Andrea: Today was my favorite day in South Africa so far – this morning we went to a very rural town (very poor) and fit 100 people with eye glasses. It was my first experience with such a thing, but it was amazing watching people put on glasses and their eyes light up because they can SEE! We also met a woman who runs a children’s center for orphans/poor children who receive MftH meals! She said many of them wouldn’t eat if it wasn’t for our food. Then we visited Del Cramer Children’s Center again just in time to see the kids who go there after school eat their MftH meals.

Pictured below is a Meals from the Heartland volunteer and a translator, fitting a woman with glasses. The woman could not read, so the test of the right glasses for her was whether or not she could thread a needle!

Day Three

Meals from the Heartland — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:56:47 +0000

Town dignitaries served the 20 millionth meal today at the Del Cramer Children’s Campus.Pictured here is Meals from the Heartland volunteer, Ed Hall, surrounded by kids eating. The team spent the day feeding nearly 1,000 children who came to the Center. Blessman Ministries has a photo gallery of life in South Africa. You can visit their website for more information.

20 Millionth Meal – Day One and Two

Meals from the Heartland — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:26:07 +0000

The team taking the 20 millionth meal to South Africa has landed and is safe at the Blessman Ministries Campus. Day One started with a quick flight from Des Moines to Atlanta, and then a 15-hour flight from Atlanta to the Johannesburg Airport. The team will be feeding children with the 20 millionth meal at the open house of their new Del Cramer Children’s Campus and are expecting 1,000 kids to come eat and play! Today is the end of their first full day in South Africa so check back soon for a report on the Day’s activities! Be sure to look on our Facebook page for photos as we get them!

Your 20 Millionth Meal Headed to South Africa

Meals from the Heartland — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:44:05 +0000

Be sure to check our Facebook page and website starting January 26 for updates about your 20 millionth meal heading to South Africa. The 20 millionth meal, packaged at last year’s Annual Hunger Fight by volunteers and Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey, will be flown to South Africa and Blessman Ministries by one of our volunteer board members. She will be documenting her travel with updates and pictures along the way.

4.2 MILLION MEALS Packaged During 2011 Annual Hunger Fight, August 31-September 3!

Meals from the Heartland — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:55:22 +0000

Meals from the Heartland Day 4: More Than 4.2 Million Meals Packaged

Meals from the Heartland — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:53:07 +0000

News Release

September 3, 2011

Meals from the Heartland Day 4: More Than 4.2 Million Meals Packaged

DES MOINES, Iowa – Thousands of volunteers from across Iowa, and even the country, came together this week to take part in the nation’s largest volunteer food packaging event of the year. By the end of the event Saturday, 4,214,592 meals were packaged over four days by a total of 13,602 volunteers.

From August 31 through September 3, volunteers gathered at Hy-Vee Hall for the 2011 Meals from the Heartland Annual Hunger Fight. The meals packaged during the event will be provided to malnourished and starving people in Iowa, New Mexico, Haiti, South Africa and Kenya.

Despite recent less-than-favorable economic conditions, Iowans donated enough to fund the packaging and transport of more than 4 million meals through online and on-site donations up until the last minute of packaging.

Highlights of the event:

On the opening night of the event, more than 1,700 Central Iowa high school students packaged 441,936 meals during the “Student Challenge,” sponsored by Pioneer Hi-Bred.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey and his wife stopped by the event Thursday night to help package the 20 millionth meal since the organization started the annual events in 2008.
2011 marked the first year the organization filled all available volunteer positions.
Meals from the Heartland has evolved into a year-round effort with Mobile Hunger Fight opportunities available outside of the annual event.

For more information about Meals from the Heartland or to donate, please visit www.MealsfromtheHeartland.org.

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