ECC students, volunteers package 6,000 meals
The Ellsworth Community College (ECC) Leadership Class, taught by Marcia Hovinga, raised more than $1,400 to purchase ingredients to package more than 6,000 meals for hungry families in Hardin County. Hovinga, 20 students, and six family members gathered last weekend to donate their time for the packaging event. The meals have been distributed to the Alden, Eldora and Iowa Falls food banks.
ECC student Lance Jensen of Winona, MN, wrote a reflection paper about the meal packaging project. Here are his thoughts:
“I participated in the Panther OutReach event, where the whole class asked people and organizations to donate money so we could put meals together and give it to the community. Our goal was $1,000 but we were able to exceed that by $400! The role of project was to give to those less fortunate or who could not feed their family at the time. I thought the role of the project was extremely satisfying because we were able to make more meals than we planned because we raised more money than expected and it gives you a special feeling inside knowing that you impacted somebody’s life.
“When we were packing the meals it felt good knowing those two hours out of my day could make a person’s whole day better. It’s unreal that a group of 20+ people could pack 6,000 meals in about two hours. Afterwards I felt good, that topped of my day, being able to say that I helped somebody in need. I feel that … if I had an opportunity back home to get a group of people to join together and raise money for same purpose, I would do it again, no doubt about it. I come from a more populated community than Iowa Falls and I can’t imagine the money we could raise.
“Overall I thought it was a great experience, and that every college student should volunteer to work at one of these. It makes you look at life and be more thankful for it. Thank you for the opportunity that opened my eyes even more and made me more thankful for the life I live.”
PHOTO 1: Twenty-seven people packaged meals for the hungry on Nov. 4 at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls. More than 6,000 meals were packaged in about two hours.
PHOTO 2: ECC students at the head of this meal packaging assembly line are (on the left) Anthony House, Ackley; Khadeem Stanton, Miami, FL; Kaine Leighty, Nevada; Jeff Lyon, Holt, MI; Hayden Head, Plattsburgh, NY; Lou Bassman, West Des Moines; (and on the right) Sahym Meza, Santee, CA, and Da’Wayne Robertson, Mesa, AZ.