Pleasanton Students Pack 11,252 Meals For Hungry People

PLEASANTON, CA- Students at Lydiksen Elementary School in Pleasanton recently helped pack more than 11,000 meals destined to feed those in need. Employees for Kids Against Hunger, a Pleasanton-based nonprofit organization, lead the students through the process of safely packing and sealing the meals for shipment.

A steady flow of students cycled through the multi-purpose room at the school for the community service project organized by Paul Stewart, a teacher at the school. This is the second time the school has hosted a packing event with Kids Against Hunger.

The food has a shelf life of three to five years. In the 1980s, General Mills created the food packages, according to Director Sherri Leal. The food packages, which can each feed up to six people, contain "white rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and 21 vitamins & minerals."

In a previous article, Leal said she ships the meals in batches 237,000 packages to those in need in more than 60 countries around the world. According to their website, the mission of Kids Against Hunger is to "feed starving children and help end world hunger." The nonprofit travels all over the Bay Area to various community outreach events.

Photos courtesy Cheryl Goebel