Please pray, volunteer, donate

To the Editor:

Rice is nice, but only if you have some to eat. Unfortunately, not only do millions of people have no rice, they have nothing to eat. Nothing.

There are three ways people in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa can help. In about 90 days, the 11th annual Kids Against Hunger food pack will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, at St. John Vianney School in Fairmont. You can show up to help or you can send money to help, or, and this costs nothing, you can pray for the program’s continued success.

And they are successful. Over the last decade, dedicated volunteers have packed 1.1 million rice and protein meals and raised nearly $300,000 toward food and shipping.

Questions? Call Karen Sandhurst at (507) 848-1260.

By the way, I have never starved, and I imagine everyone reading this has never missed too many meals either, so please pray and come or donate.

I began volunteering with Kids Against Hunger a couple years ago, by reading a passionate letter to the editor. Now it’s your turn to do so. Thank you.

Steve Bakken

Blue Earth

Poppy Day set for Nov. 10

To the Editor:

Members of the Fairmont American Legion Auxiliary Unit 36 will distribute poppies at Fareway, Hy-Vee, Shopko and Five Lake Centre on Nov. 10 in Fairmont. The basic purpose of Poppy Days is to offer the American public an opportunity to honor those who have and are presently serving for our freedom.

Veterans remember the wild flowers blooming in the devastated battlefields of France and Flanders. The poppy is a memorial emblem to show a personal tribute for the sacrifice that has been made for America by the dead and living veterans. The poppy is made by disabled veterans, which helps them with rehabilitation.

All funds received are used for veterans programs in our area.

Bonnie McMurtry

Poppy chairwoman

Fairmont

Child care centers needed first

To the Editor:

The bike path to nowhere ($340,000) and the proposed community center ($25 million) in Fairmont are both nice if we can afford them. But there are other more pressing needs that should be addressed first.

One need is for additional child care centers. If this can be accomplished, it would be a huge attraction for new business. It would also give many single parents the opportunity to get off of public assistance. It would seem to be in the interests of the community to organize child care centers and see that they are properly run.

In my opinion, the need for new child care centers business should be filled by private individuals. But there appears to be little appeal because the costs and regulations that make it too difficult. Child care has to be cost effective to both the provider and the customer. If child care cannot be provided by private individuals then our local government should step in. Fairmont has already done this in the housing area.

Fairmont is having a “town hall” meeting on this subject at 6:30 p.m Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the Fairmont Holiday Inn. You are invited to participate.

Ron Strom

Fairmont