Volunteers in Olathe are packing their one millionth meal for the 815 million people in the world who do not have enough food to live a healthy life.
Five different years church members of Heartland Community Church have worked with Rise Against Hunger for Meals from the Heart.
Sunday they plan to pack more than 285,000 meals that will be packaged and shipped to El Salvador on Tuesday.
"My hope is that they will know people around the world care about them," explained Fredrick Francises, who is volunteering for a second year in a row. "People actually need to be fed."
The meals are full of rice, soy, vegetables and vitamins containing more than 20 nutrients specifically targeted for those who are malnourished.
They will go straight to a school, because of the impact food has on education, according to Rise Against Hunger.
The lead pastor, Dan Deeble, expects more than 1,600 volunteers to participate and work about 90 minutes at a time throughout the day.
They each load a certain element into the bags, package the food, place it in a box or even assist in the shipping.
"I love seeing moms and dads with babies strapped to their backs, and getting everyone involved, no matter the age," says Deeble.
Volunteers believing the food they're packing is more than a meal, it's hope.
"Being able to eat is one of the most important aspects of life, and through that we can work. It gives us energy to move on in our daily life," explained Francises.
