That was demonstrated Saturday when about 500 volunteers spent part of their day at the Feed My Starving Children food packing event in the gym at Community Christian School.

That’s over 1,000 hands.

June Bacon, of Fort Dodge brought her grandchildren, Noah Simon, 9, and Logan Simon, 7.

They got down to work. Noah helped seal bags. Logan set them out neatly on the table for boxing.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Logan Simon, 7, of Fort Dodge, carefully stacks finished meals Saturday morning during a Feed My Starving Children meal packing event at Community Christian School in Fort Dodge.

“I think it’s really important they see how to serve,” she said.

Elisa Rubin, of Fort Dodge, attended with her daughter Eden Rubin, 5.

“It’s important that they know they’re helping to feed children,” Elisa Rubin said. “To know that there’s children that just don’t have food.

Eden Rubin had an important job as she worked alongside her mom. She scooped the cup of rice that makes the base for the meals then deposited it into a funnel where it went into the bag before other ingredients were added.

Between the two tasks, she had a favorite.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Eden Rubin, 5, of Fort Dodge, is a study in concentration as she pours the rice portion of a meal into a funnel Saturday morning during a Feed My Starving Children meal packing event at Community Christian School.

“Scooping the rice,” she said.

Mike and Cindy Mulroney, of Fort Dodge, are veterans.

“We’ve done this for as many years as they’ve had it,” Cindy Mulroney said. “Hopefully we’re helping a young child that will get nutritious food.”

Mulroney stressed that the event is for everyone. Participants, like themselves, are often there from other church homes, service organizations or are just individuals who want to help.

“It’s a community event,” she said.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Cindy Mulroney, of Fort Dodge, measures ingredients Saturday during a Feed My Starving Children meal packing event at Community Christian School in Fort Dodge. Cindy Mulroney, of Fort Dodge, is a study in concentration Saturday as she measures ingredients into a meal during a Feed My Starving Children meal pack event at Community Christian School.

Abby Jurewicz, site coordinator for Feed My Starving Children, said that she’s not sure where the meals packed will end up. The organization serves world wide and food is shipped where it’s needed. The goal on Saturday was to pack more than 108,000 meals in three shifts of two hours each.

Dave Bowser, of Fort Dodge, is the event host.

“Our goal is to raise $32,000 for this,” he said. “Come and be involved. Come pack, pray or donate.”