Old Cub Food Building Next to Old Walmart Site for Haiti Meal Preparation Sunday Afternoon

"One Million Meals for Haiti" the sign on the facade of the old Cub Food store next to the old Walmart store says. It is located across Route 14 from Sam's Club.

About 440,000 meals down, another 560,000 to go, if the Salvation Army’s goal of one million meals for Haiti is to be met.

This is the widest shot I got of those working in the old Cub Food store. Click to enlarge any image.

Oodles of McHenry County-area residents joined Kansas employees of Numana, which I first misread as “Humana,” to package bags of rice and other nutritious ingredients that would feed six people for a day.

You know I try to take informal shots, but this "thumbs up" guy saw me first.

The meals are headed for Haiti.

The ingredients of the meals for six for a day headed for earthquake savaged Haiti.

220 calories per half cup with only 5 from fat and only 14% carbohydrates, as I read the ingredients on the transparent bag I sealed about two hours worth Saturday with Crystal Lake Kiwanis members.

This was our line. You can see my friend Pete Castillo in the upper right. He's going back tomorrow. Will you join him?

There are a series of production lines.

Some were older folks who enjoyed the Beatles songs blaring over the public address system; some were younger.

The old Cub Food building was filled with them.

Another of the lines filling plastic bags with food.

But, apparently there were not enough to finish filling enough 6-meal bags to reach the 500,000 meal goal.

No need to guess what service club the man with the Cary Lions Shirt is wearing belongs to. Unaffiliated individuals are welcome as well.

So, volunteers are needed tomorrow afternoon.

Same entrance as before.

The doors open at one and close at six.

Crystal Lake Kiwanis and McHenry County Board member Tina Hill sat across from my sealing machine doing the same operation on her side of the line. Her daughter Alina Polly pushed the sealer and flattened the bags.

You can probably do at least two hours without feeling much pain.

Crystal Lake Kiwanis members, friends and family pose before about 400,000 meals ready to ship to Haiti. Click on the photo to see what individual faces look like when they shout, "Haiti!"

After a group’s shift, a photo was in order.  Above are Crystal Lake Kiwanians and friends they recruited.

Crystal Lake City Concilwoman Carolyn Schofield and her daughter Mary Clare sample the fare before going home to Saturday night dinner.

For those curious as to how the meal tastes, like Crystal Lake City Councilwoman Carolyn Schofield and her daughter Mary Clare, there was a crock pot full.  The woman behind the table said it tasted better fresh.  Since the meal is supposed to last all day, I imagine what we ate at the end of the day is what hungry residents of Haiti eat.

The tee shirt tells the goal of the Crystal Lake Salvation Army. They were 60,000 meals shot of half way at closing time Saturday night.

So far, the Numana web site says over 15 million meals have been prepared.

One of the jobs is flattening the bags and arranging them so that you know when there is enough to fill a box.

Will Crystal Lake push it up another million?

This Numana employee pitched in with the packing. I kiddingly asked her if she were "a migrant worker." She said in a way you call her that. Numana is based in Kansas.

Only if the place is packed with volunteers Sunday.

What do the volunteers get out of the experience?

Can you feel the warm and fuzzy feeling permeating these people who will know that at least for one day a million people in Haiti won't go hungry?

A warm and fuzzy feeling, plus, in my case, hands covered with food particles.  That’s because the bag sealers didn’t have to wear plastic gloves.

No gloves for the sealers.

Hair nets, yes, but plastic gloves, no.

Even if one has as little hair as I have.


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