September 26, 2024

SWCC Meals for the Heartland sets record

Volunteers help prepare and box meals for Meals for the Heartland April 19 at Southwestern Community College. The one-day event set a record for most number of meals prepared at the college. (John Van Nostrand)

Southwestern Community College

Those who volunteered April 19 for the Meals of the Heartland event at Southwestern Community College helped set a one-day record for most meals packaged at the college. During the college’s Pay it Forward Week 87,048 meals were packaged from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Southwestern started hosting the event in 2013.

Because of these efforts, 334 children will be fed for an entire year. Meals will be distributed locally, as well as worldwide. According to statistics that day, 300 volunteers packaged 403 boxes using 8,700 lbs. of rice and 3,219 lbs. of soy.

A huge thank you to the participating teams for this year’s event: Appalachia Service Project, Benson Hill, Bunn-O-Matic (BUNN), Crestmoor Ladies, Creston fifth grade, Creston High School robotics team, East Union FFA, First National Bank, Greater Regional Health, Heartland Management Alliance, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Hometown Insurance/Mayflower School, Hy-Vee, Kiwanis & Rotary Clubs, Macksburg United Methodist Church, Michaels Foods, Phi Theta Kappa, Platte Center Presbyterian Church, RE Lewis, Salem Lutheran Church, Stalker Chevrolet/KSIB Radio, State Savings Bank & PCSB, SWCC Employees, SWCC Student Senate, Viterra, Walmart, Wellman Dynamics, Youth Council. Sponsors: anonymous donor, Cromwell Church, SWCC Ag Club

The Meals from the Heartland organization, based in Des Moines, has been in existence since 2008. During the first SWCC event, held in 2013, 12,000 meals were packaged in two and a half hours. The Union County Development Association (UCDA) became a partner in SWCC’s event in 2016.

Creston