Former Mercy Resident Wins $100,000 worth of Food to Feed the Needy

The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma received great news this week thanks to former Mercy Ministries' resident, Rachael Cabrales, and her 4-year-old son, Richie. They were the winners of the Mermaid Jingle Jam jingle contest sponsored by Chicken of the Sea!

Rachael wrote the jingle and her son sang the song for an online contest, "When your tummy is hungry, hungry as can be. What you need is Chicken of the Sea. It has lots of protein, full of vitamin D!" They won first prize with 36% of the votes. As a part of winnings, $100,000 worth of seafood was donated to their local food bank! Food Bank Executive Director, Sara Waggoner, explained the prize couldn't have come at a better time. With the downturn in the economy, the food bank has seen a 40% increase in the number of people asking for food, but donations have dropped by 20%.

Seafood is a rare amenity at the food bank because it tends to be a high-priced item so they are thrilled to receive the amazing gift! They are also excited about the effects of this donation because seafood is very high in protein and will go a long way to helping feed the hungry. For Richie's mom the contest had special meaning because at one point in her life, Rachel was homeless herself. She explained, "I know what it is to be in need and to need help from someone. It feels really, really good to be able to give back in some way. It really does!"

Richie is quite the performer, and we are so proud of these two for their efforts to contribute to those in need! On top of winning the $100,000 worth of seafood for their local food bank, they also won an all-expense paid trip to Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA!

Because of your support, Mercy Ministries able to help so many young girls get their lives back on track so that they can go on and impact their communities just like Rachel.

To watch the news story, click here.