5,000 Youthfront Campers to Feed 100,000 in Africa Area Young People Participating in 'Feed the Hunger' Outreach

Westwood, Kan. (PRWEB) June 24, 2009 -- Nearly 5,000 young people attending summer Youthfront Camps are assembling and packaging 100,000 meals to send to starving people in Central Africa. Formerly called Kansas City Youth for Christ, Youthfront is a faith-based youth organization with two summer camps: Youthfront Camp South in LaCygne, Kan. and Youthfront Camp West in Edgerton, Kan.

Youthfront's "Feed the Hunger" program provides nutritious food for the hungry, primarily children, who are suffering in Central Africa. "Feed the Hunger" also seeks to comprehensively move Kansas City young people toward action on behalf of the marginalized and vulnerable.

This year, more than 10 million people will die of starvation worldwide - more than half will be children. In Africa alone, more than 200 million people are chronically undernourished.

Youthfront is partnering with Outreach, Inc. of Union, Iowa, an organization that provides a relief distribution network in Africa, in this initiative. "We're not interested in providing a token lunch. Each meal is a quality mixture of rice, soy and vegetables, plus a full daily vitamin supplement," said Youthfront President Mike King. "It was important for us to find a partner that uses a sustainable approach. We selected to partner with Outreach because they have an established distribution network on the subcontinent

Former Kansas City Royals pitcher, Jeremy Affeldt, has contributed $15,000 to kick-off Feed the Hunger.

"We've been given so much over the years," said Affeldt. "When Mike King explained the idea to Larisa and me, we may have talked for an entire 30 seconds before pledging our involvement. Helping kids help kids - this is a great concept and opportunity. We knew immediately it was something we needed to do."

Youthfront's larger goal is to see "Feed the Hunger" become a vehicle for awareness of the world hunger problem and relief exploration by young people.

"Not everyone can go to Africa and deliver food face-to-face," said King. "But as our students put these meals together, we hope they can begin to gain a sense of how real the problem is and how we can be a part of the solution. All of us can help in some way."

The cost of the initiative is approximately 40 cents per meal. In addition to Affeldt's $15,000 contribution, campers, parents and other donors are committed to raising an additional $37,000.00 to help purchase meals. Outreach, Inc. provides the supplies, packaging materials, shipping, and distribution. Youthfront provides fundraising, labor, storage, education, and facilitation of the packaging process. The majority of the meals will be distributed this summer throughout Central Africa. A small percentage will be delivered to Youthfront's ongoing Croc, Mexico relief mission location.

Youthfront is a faith-based youth organization dedicated to seeing adolescents become positive contributors to their families, schools, churches, communities, and the world. With 67 years of experience, Youthfront seeks to develop the social, physical, mental, and spiritual health of North America's emerging generation. For more information, or to make a donation to "Feed the Hunger," visit www.youthfront.com.

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