Sauk Valley-area FFA students assemble, seal and box thousands of meals

STERLING – Dozens of students prepared thousands of meals Wednesday at Sterling High School.

Spearheaded by Sterling FFA Sentinel Kadielynn Nelson and President Grace Wetzell, the group worked with Meals from the Heartland, an organization made up of volunteers who package meals that are then sent to underserved communities.

“We worked with [Meals from the Heartland] at our FFA convention in Springfield, and we wanted to do that back here,” Nelson said.

Sterling then recruited other FFA groups from their section to help with the project. Working in groups of eight at separate tables, Prophetstown-Lyndon-Tampico, Dixon, Fulton, Ashton-Franklin Center and Oregon students chipped in to help construct the meals consisting of rice, soy protein, vitamins, minerals and dried vegetables. The ingredients were measured, with the bags then sealed and boxed. The food is a healthy, easy, storable meal by just adding hot water, the students said.

After 2.5 million meals were put together at the Springfield convention, Wetzell and company had designs on their own goal.

“We hope to do 45,000,” Wetzell said. “I think we can get there.”

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