Each volunteer, already wearing a hair net, got in line, washed their hands in the hall, donned gloves then went into the gym to begin working for several hours.

The organization will eventually get the packed meals, each containing rice, beans, spices and vitamins, to areas where food is needed overseas.

Al Larson, of Fort Dodge, was helping with one of the first steps.

His job was turning flat boxes into assembled and labeled boxes to hold the meal packs.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Reagan Vorrie, 4, of Thor, is a study in concentration as she works to carefully put labels on bags Saturday during the Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event at Community Christian School.

“This and a lot of other things.” Larson said of his job. “The first shift filled over 180 boxes.”

He’s been helping for several years.

“I like to help the kids,” he said. “It’s fun to find out where they send them. I get to smile a second time.”

Reagan Vorrie, 4, of Thor, was sitting by her mom, Melissa Vorrie, carefully attaching batch labels to the soon-to-be-filled plastic meal pack bags. Her sister Macy Vorrie, 6, was also helping out.

“I think the kids get to learn that there’s a time to give back.” Melissa Vorrie said. “It’s a chance to learn the importance of helping others in need.”

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Lydia Grim, 7, of Fort Dodge, concentrates hard as she adds the vitamin powder to a meal pack Saturday during a Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event at Community Christian School.

As a bonus, the day was quality time with her children and the work was pretty much play.

“We like the stickers,” she said.

Kora Peart, 6, of Fort Dodge, had a very important job. She got to be the quality control inspector for her dad, Josh Peart, as he heat-sealed the filled meal packs.

“It’s an important lesson that we should be helping people. Not everyone has a cupboard full of food.” Josh Peart said. “We are thankful for what we have and some of that is time we can give.”

When the shift first started, Peart was just getting the hang of it, he had met the dreaded learning curve, was heading uphill and had the peak in sight.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Kora Peart, 6, of Fort Dodge, vigilantly maintains an eye on quality control as her dad, Josh Peart, seals meal bags Saturday during a Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event at Community Christian School.

“I hope so,” he said. “It would help me feel better.”

Each person who was helping fill the meal packs is responsible for a different ingredient.

Lydia Grim, 7, of Fort Dodge, got to add the powdered vitamins.

She nodded yes to several questions.

Indeed, adding the vitamins was her favorite task. She also liked helping other kids and the time with her seven-member family, also a vigorous nod yes.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Jason Ribbens, of Duncombe, puts a box filled with meal packs on the pallet he was helping to stack Saturday during a Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event at Community Christian School in Fort Dodge. Jon Shields, of Fort Dodge, at right, was helping him with the stacking.

Her spokesperson, her mom Brittany Grim, spoke on her behalf.

“This is her second time doing this.” Brittany Grim said. “She was very excited for today.”

After the meals are sealed, they go into boxes. Those in turn get stacked on a pallet for shipping.

Jason Ribbens, of Duncombe, got assigned to help with that.

He’s got lots of experience in his professional work life.

“I’ve done thousands of these,” he said of putting heavy sacks on pallets. “For this one time, I said, ‘Why not.’ It’s easy to help out.”

His stacking partner, Jon Shields, of Fort Dodge, while lacking the box stacking on pallets work experience of Ribbens, he brought his work ethic along for his fourth time helping out.

“You just have to be willing to do the work,” Shields said. “There’s a lot of people lacking good nutrition and regular meals. It’s an opportunity to provide for people in great need.”

For more information on Save My Starving Children see www.fmsc.org