Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

WORLAND — Sometimes, helping your neighbor knows no border. For Hyattville resident Nancy Jones, what you do locally can make a great difference in the lives of those far away.

On Saturday, Aug. 29, Jones and an army of volunteers will meet at the Hyattville Community Center to package and prepare 76,000 meals for impoverished children in Nicaragua. Once completed, the food, shrink-wrapped for shipping, will be sent to Casper for transport vial railway to Managua, Nicaragua. “We really hope we can get a good turn-out this year,” remarked Jones. “We need around 48 people per hour to make this work, and since we work an assembly line, it should go pretty fast.”

Starting at 9 a.m., Jones is asking for at least a two-hour commitment from volunteers, until finishing at 3 p.m.

At a cost of 30 cents per meal, volunteers will be packaging a variety of dehydrated and freeze-dried consumables including rice, chicken, soy and vegetables in each packet. The food is provided by the NiCE (Nicaragua Children Education) Foundation, which organizes several of these events a year, in an ongoing effort to feed children in Nicaragua. “I’ve been involved with NICE for three years, in conjunction with Kids Against Hunger, to help these kids get some basic nutrition,” said Jones. “A basic meal is very good for their development, in a place where they may not find it otherwise.”

In addition to needing volunteers on Aug. 29, NICE and Jones are sponsoring a golf tournament on Aug. 15 at the Worland Green Hills golf course. The $45 entry fee covers all holes and a silent auction will be included, with all proceeds benefitting the relief effort.

For more information on donations, or to volunteer, contact Nancy Jones, care of the NICE Foundation, at 307-469-2274. For more information on NiCE visit nicefoundation.org.