Meals from the Heartland is a nonprofit organization composed of volunteers who package meals for delivery to starving people around the world. On Sunday, 150 volunteers gathered at Fort Dodge’s First Presbyterian Church to help with that important effort.

The participants packaged 37,500 meals. Approximately 4,000 stayed right here in our community. About 3,000 went to the Backpack Buddies program, which started in fall 2009. It provides healthy food for a weekend to Fort Dodge elementary school children on reduced or free lunch. The Salvation Army will distribute 1,000 of the meals.

“A lot of our meals are shipped internationally through Convoy of Hope,” Dave Bradley, executive director of Meals of the Heartland and formerly chief executive officer of First Federal Savings Bank of Iowa, told The Messenger. “It’s for a children-feeding initiative, where we help them feed 145,000 kids in 12 different countries every day. Without our meals, they would not be able to have a lunch that day.”

According to Bradley, First Presbyterian has a long relationship with the effort and is an especially valued partner.

The Meals from the Heartland is a major player in the fight against hunger. With the help of 47,000 volunteers in 2014 it made available 10.6 million meals to those in need.

The Messenger commends this worthy effort and applauds the local folks who are dedicating their efforts to its success.