On November 10, the Figge will host an event to celebrate the exhibition Restoring the Spirit: Celebrating Haitian Art which features art work that vividly portrays Haitian culture and history. The Figge is partnering with Kids Against Hunger Your Quad-Cities to bag lifesaving food which will be delivered to Haiti.

Kids Against Hunger is an international food relief organization working to save the lives of starving people. The local chapter has provided over 700,000 meals to starving people in Haiti, Honduras, and Nicaragua, many of whom suffer from malnutrition and resort to eating mud cakes to stave off the hunger. In addition, they have provided nearly 65,000 meals to hungry people in the Quad Cities. The bagged meals, made up of rice, soy, six vegetables and twenty-one vitamins and minerals, provide a nutritionally complete meal and cost $0.25 per meal. 

The Figge is seeking over 100 volunteers to help bag food from 4 pm to 6 pm on November 10. Families and children are encouraged to participate. Suggested free will cash donations of $20 will be accepted to help cover the cost of these meals. For a fee of $360, teams of 12 volunteers can sign up to create 1440 meals in an hour. There will be a brief program at 5 pm with remarks by John Kessler of Kids Against Hunger your Quad Cities.

At 6 pm, Figge friend and Rock Island psychiatrist Dr. Ralph Saintfort will present a talk, “The Earthquake in Haiti and Its Aftermath.” Dr. Saintfort has been a clinical volunteer with Konbit Sante Cap-Haitian Health Partnership since 2003. He was born in Haiti and lived there with his family until he was 14. This talk is offered in conjunction with the special exhibition Restoring the Spirit: Celebrating Haitian Art.

To volunteer at this event, please contact Jennifer Brooke at the Figge Art Museum 563.326.7804x2048 or j.brooke@figgeartmuseum.org 

This event is sponsored by the Figge Art Museum, Kids Against Hunger your Quad Cities, the Scott County Medical Association, the Rock Island County Medical Association, the Rock Island County Medical Alliance, Clark Arons, Tom Brooke, Thrivent Financial and Veterans Information Service.