CONTRIBUTED PHOTO The student philanthropy groups at Marshalltown, East Marshall and West Marshall high schools are seeking volunteers for a meal packaging event at the MHS cafeteria on April 3 beginning at 5:30 p.m. with a goal of packaging 50,000 meals in all. They will then be distributed to individuals struggling with food insecurity in Marshall County.

People looking for a volunteer opportunity will have a chance on April 3.

Marshall County Student Philanthropy will package Meals From the Heartland meals for area residents struggling with food insecurity. They need 240 volunteers to package 50,000 meals — 120 volunteers for the first shift and 120 for the second.

Volunteers should be no younger than 8 years of age and able to stand for one hour.

Community Foundation of Marshall County Executive Director Julie Hitchins said this is the third consecutive year for the meal packaging.

“Typically the shifts are done in an hour,” she said. “I think last year, they finished within 45 minutes. There’s a little bit of competition between service clubs. So, it was a race, which is all good.”

Volunteers will place Meals From the Heartland Hearty Rice packages into boxes, and each box holds 36. The boxes are then distributed by Student Philanthropy to free little food pantries throughout the county, the Emergency Food Box, the Salvation Army, schools and churches.

“It’s not just Marshalltown — they go everywhere,” Hitchins said. “Either they come and pick it up, or the students deliver it.

Hitchins said it is a great event, during which students can also learn some leadership skills. Student volunteers, called “champions,” lead the pack lines, she said.

“I don’t tell them ahead of time,” Hitchins said. “I want them to experience that chaos, and that unknown. By the end of the night, they’re leaders. That’s an added bonus.”

There are three student groups in Philanthropy — STEP (Students Teaching and Empowering Philanthropy) from Marshalltown High School; LUCC (Leaders Uplifting our Community with Charity) at West Marshall; and SEAL (Students Empowering and Leading) at East Marshall. Rotary Interact, a student group in Marshalltown, also helps in the effort.

The 45 members of Student Philanthropy decided to do the meal packaging event again after learning about the increasing number of Marshall County residents facing food insecurity.

“They looked at the MICA Needs Assessment, and food was number one,” Hitchins said.

In comparison, Philanthropy members and volunteers packaged 20,000 meals in the first year.

“SEAL has little free pantries in their district they can’t keep stocked,” she said. “The students are very aware of the need for food.”

Even though a little more fundraising is necessary for the packaging, Hitchins is confident they will meet the goal of $14,500. She said they had significant donations from Emerson, Alliant Energy, Marshalltown Evening Lions, mosaic church and individual donors.

EVENT INFORMATION:

Date: Wednesday, April 3

Time: 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., first shift; 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m, second shift

Place: Marshalltown High School cafeteria, 1602 S. Second Ave.

Volunteer sign up: https://bit.ly/4324MP

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.