Walking into the gym, the sight was like an assembly line: tables of students, measuring cups of grains and stapling bags together. Methodically, efficiently, in service of a good cause.

The Lone Tree Community School’s FFA chapter organized the Hunger Service Day on Friday, Feb. 26 to package meals for people in need.

“Hunger Service Day is a day where our chapter can advocate for food insecurity and poverty,” chapter co-president Alberto Cortes, a senior, said. “We package around 30,000 meals that are sent to various places in need.”

First, Cortes said, to local sites, and later on a statewide or national level.

This is the fifth year of Hunger Service Days at Lone Tree. The student body from the middle and high schools participated, one period at a time.

The meals were simple. Rice, soy and dried vegetables, with vitamin powder for flavoring.

“It’s all locally sourced, or at least from the Midwest,” said teacher Jessica Howard. “[We] make sure it’s nutritionally valued, so it’s not waste food, not junk food.”

The packages were provided, and will be shipped by, the Des Moines-based Meals from the Heartland company. Employee George Filber said the students were instrumental in putting the Hunger Service Day together. He didn’t even talk with any advisors — just Cortes, co-president Alex Viner and other FFA members.

“They literally do everything from fundraising, to communicating with me, to figuring out the logistics of the event,” Filber said. “I can’t say enough good things about the FFA program at this school.”

A host of other sponsors aided in the fundraising, most of which had agricultural ties. The chapter thanked them in a video posted to the school’s social media once the event was over.

The event concluded the annual FFA Week at Lone Tree. Other activities of the week traditionally include dressing up in various themes and driving your tractor to school.

Cortes, Viner and other intrepid students have made sure the FFA Week continues to inspire students and benefit the community.

“Our chapter has kept most aspects of Hunger Service Day the same to achieve the same amount of success each year,” Cortes said.

And success they have found, going off the motto ‘If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.’ But hundreds, and thousands, they have fed and will continue to feed, nonetheless. 

Howard foresees the Hunger Service Days becoming even more popular as time goes by.

“We have generations of students who will be doing this in the future,” she said.