Highland students unite to feed the hungry

By Molly Roberts
Posted 4/12/22

A scoop of soy, a scoop of dehydrated vegetables, some vitamins and minerals and a scoop of grain makes a just-add-water meal. And Highland students had the opportunity to package 40,000 of these …

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Highland students unite to feed the hungry

Posted

A scoop of soy, a scoop of dehydrated vegetables, some vitamins and minerals and a scoop of grain makes a just-add-water meal. And Highland students had the opportunity to package 40,000 of these meals during Hunger Service Day on Friday, April 8 through a program called Meals from the Heartland.

All students in grades six through twelve worked in shifts to assemble and package the meals that will be delivered across Iowa, across the United States and even internationally.

Each shift started with an introductory video where students heard from a girl who struggles with food insecurity and is really excited to go to school so she can get a meal.

“We talk about, with the kids, about how most of us are very fortunate and other kids are not. We want to emphasize selflessness,” said Highland FFA advisor Gina Trower. “Unity is the big word in the theme of this event. Everybody in the building has a lime green t-shirt on, and those were sponsored by several Syngenta representatives who work with the Highland FFA to lower the cost for the students.”

The gym was set up with several units, each having the materials and equipment to assemble the meals. The FFA officers were each in charge of a unit, keeping things running smoothly and efficiently. Music played in the background from a collaborative playlist and the students were “rocking out” while assembling the meals.

“They’re learning to do things not just for themselves, but for others. Especially our sixth graders, this is a huge opportunity for them because as sixth graders there’s only so much you can do for others,” Trower said. “We’re teaching them the interpersonal skills, communication skills and the people skills. This is for other people, and we’re thinking about others and we’re doing for others. We want the students to walk away with the “I did something good today” feeling. For them to use that later in life will be awesome.”

FFA President Mackinze Hora said the unity of the day, all students coming together to work toward a common goal of packaging 40,000 meals, was important to her.

“I know we do a lot of stuff here at the school, but our middle school and high school are kind of separated a lot and it’s nice to just get everyone together,” she said. “With these shifts, there are high schoolers working with middle schoolers and middle schoolers working with high schools. It’s nice to see everyone work together. We’re a small school and everyone knows each other, but it’s nice to be able to work together for a goal.”

FFA Vice President Carsen Mellinger said packaging the meals made her think about food in a new way.

“With the video we watch at the beginning, we learn about a girl who is scavenging for food. We learn a lot about how important it is that we’re giving them the proper nutrients they need,” Mellinger said. “These vegetables are already grown and dehydrated. In FFA we deal more with the growing, but this is more putting the food out into the community instead of starting it from the bottom.”

Trower said it was refreshing to see the students working together and communicating without any screens — they were face-to-face, working with their hands and talking together about the importance of helping to feed those facing food insecurity.

“The best thing has been the positive energy from everyone. Kids you wouldn’t think would be excited to do this are taking leadership roles, making sure the measurements are right and things are running smoothly. Everyone knows how good of a cause this is,” Mellinger said. “I think it’s really cool because the middle school is so far away from [the high school] but seeing everyone be able to work together for a common cause is really meaningful to me as an FFA member. We’re all about community. Theme for today is unity and by coming together, I think we’re showing that we’re really united.”