Children in Guatemala receive regular meals through a feeding program. International Disaster Emergency Service works with local partners to provide meals.
The orphaned boy is cared for by an uncle, but sometimes his uncle struggles to feed him.
The uncle brings him to a nursery school near their home in Kenya. He is fed there, and he’s grown healthier, gaining weight and energy. He’s learned to read and write.
Meals such as those served to the boy in Kenya are paid for through Harvest of Talents, an effort by several American churches to raise money to feed hungry people.
Fortville Christian Church is one of those churches. It will have a Harvest of Talents event in September, one of eight that will take place in the United States this year. The meals go out via feeding programs by International Disaster Emergency Service (IDES), which has headquarters in Noblesville.
IDES responds to disasters around the globe, such as offering temporary shelter or emergency food packets. (A meal packing event at Emerge Church today will ready such meals for IDES; see The Bulletin for information.) But IDES also has regular feeding programs in places where children might otherwise go hungry.
Jeff Greene, advancement director for IDES, said the ministry has 11 partners administering such feeding programs in eight countries: Guatemala, Haiti, India, Kenya, Kosovo, Myanmar, Tajikistan, and Tanzania.
“We anticipate that we will provide over 650,000 meals this year through the HOT program,” Greene wrote in an email. “Our partners serve over 5,700 people every month, providing them with nutritious meals.”
The money buying those meals in 2024 includes $21,000 raised at the 2023 event in Fortville.
Harvest of Talents began in 1983, when a woman in Illinois was moved by a sermon about world hunger. She had the idea to raise money for food by tapping into people’s skills and abilities. Someone good at baking might bake a cake, for example. Someone who cans might offer jars of jelly. Someone with a skill such as cutting hair might offer a gift certificate.
Soon the idea spread to other churches. Years ago, people from the Fortville church would help out with other churches’ Harvest of Talents. They’d go to IDES headquarters and paint crafts to be sold, for example.
But in 2017, the church sponsored its own event, raising $11,300. The total has risen over the years, said Brenda Ayers, an organizer of the event at Fortville Christian.
The day includes a large bazaar featuring furniture, decor, jewelry, Christmas ornaments and a wide range of other items. There’s a silent auction for some select items. Breakfast and lunch are also available for purchase: biscuits and gravy in the morning, and this year, chicken and noodles for lunch. Over the years a car show has been added, as has a “used treasures” room for thrifting.
This year, 75 blue fish-shaped banks passed out at church have been returned full, bringing in more than $800. Local businesses and the American Legion have offered items to sell, gift cards to auction and/or checks toward the cause.
“In the seven years of having it, we’ve raised over $100,000 to give to IDES,” Ayers said. “It’s a good cause, and it brings the community together, and it brings our church together.”
HARVEST OF TALENTS
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 7
Where: Fortville Christian Church, 9450 N. County Road 200W, Fortville
Bazaar and events: A bazaar features furniture, woodworking, jewelry, Christmas decor, crafts and other items. There’s also a bake sale and a silent auction (bids in by 2 p.m.) including gift cards from local businesses. A used treasures market features gently used items.
Car show: A classic car show is expected to draw 100 vehicles. Registration is $20 and runs from 9 a.m. to noon.
Food: Biscuits and gravy, fruit and homemade cinnamon rolls will be available for purchase from 9-10:30 a.m. A lunch featuring chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes and green beans will be sold from 11:30 a.m. until it sells out.
Why: All proceeds will support feeding programs through International Disaster Emergency Service. Learn more about the ministry at ides.org.
Information: https://www.facebook.com/events/366157409423258
