WHAT IS A “PACKATHON?”
It is caring people working together to assemble fortified rice meals to help hungry and vulnerable children and compromised adults in Tanzania Africa. The food is packaged in an assembly line fashion by caring individuals, school, churches, community organizations, civic clubs and corporations. Appropriate for school age children and up. Each participant raises $25.00 for their designated time slot to help package fortified rice meals. Participant’s can sign up and pay in advance or at the door, but we need to know the time you want to pack.100% of your registration fee goes directly to this project. The registration fee purchases the bulk food ingredients, pays for ocean/air shipping to Tanzania Africa and also pays for our “in country” shipping and handling so we are assured these meals get to our projects. A small portion of the fee rents a truck for us to come to your location.
HOW CAN I HELP?
You can organize a “packathon” within your own community. Choose a location, gather participants and see how you will not only change the lives of those in Tanzania but those who come to help at the “pack”. You are not alone – Simple Hope staff will help you every step of the way! They will help you find the right location in your community to host event, set up a method to find participant’s and be with you from the beginning to end. If you can’t attend a “packathon” but wish to support a worker or two, please make your tax deductible donation and note on your donation “packathon support” and we will give this gift to someone who would like to pack and needs a “sponsor”
WHAT IS THE EXPERIENCE?
Simple Hope believes that it is our responsibility to teach all those that come to help pack food understand why they are packing, who they are packing for and where the food goes once it leaves the USA. A participant’s experience begins with an informative presentation complete with photographs of food distribution in Tanzania and an explanation of how the assembly of food is completed. Next, teams of eight are gathered to begin the packaging process. Following the pack, participants get to “experience” what village life is all about in Tanzania. Here everyone can see the size of the “homes”, carry baskets on their heads, lift buckets of water, taste the “real life” food called Ugali and also sample the wonderful food that was just packed the day of the event. Lastly, a “Fair Trade” booth is set up where craft items directly from Tanzania are for sale. These items are purchased from women who are struggling to help support their families.
WHO DO I CONTACT TO TALK ABOUT HOLDING A PACKATHON?
You can email your request. Someone will happily respond to your question as soon as it is received.