Jasper County Take Away Hunger seeks volunteers

Volunteers with Jasper County Take Away Hunger have their work cut out for them yet again this month as they are set to package food for those in need locally and globally.

Founder of the first packaging distribution center in Iowa, Dan Fields of Mt. Pleasant, said volunteers work to package meals three times a year, both international and domestic meals.

This month, volunteers will meet on March 25 at Lynnville Friends Church.

“We are working with 20 outreach centers in the state of Iowa,” Fields said. “We cover a large portion of the state, and last year we sent over 3 million meals over seas and a little over 200,000 here in Iowa.”

Fields said the organization has seen volunteers in Jasper County for about eight years.

“It’s a mobile event where they bring all the products to different churches and they have their own equipment,” Fields said. “We’re really glad they’re part of the team and we look forward to every event they do.”

After the meals are packaged, they are brought back to a warehouse and office complex in Mt. Pleasant. There, they are put on pallets and they are sent out to various locations in Iowa. If there isn’t an immediate need in Iowa, then they are sent over seas.

“What we find in smaller communities across the state is they have become fragmented and this gives them the opportunity to reach out to other churches and challenges them to get involved and bring a team of 12 to the packaging event,” Fields said. “For an hour they stand there and talk, they interact and we are watching it bring solidarity back to a lot of the communities.”

Fields said the goal of Take Away Hunger is to reach people who are coming into outreach centers in need.

“We have a huge problem right here in our own state, especially in our schools,” Fields said. “One out of 5 kids go home on the weekends and don’t have any food.”

Volunteer with Take Away Hunger, Richard Thomas, said they will be working on packaging rice and beans during the event this month.

“Eventually there will be mac and cheese as a packaging option,” Thomas said.

All are welcome, such as churches, service clubs, businesses, scout troops and individuals who would be willing to come to help with the packaging event. Deadline for registering of a team or individual who is willing to work with others is Saturday.

Contact Bill Bennett at jasper.co.tah@gmail.com to register or to receive more information about the event.

Contact Kayla Langmaid at 641-792-3121 ext. 6513 or klangmaid@newtondailynews.com