U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack helped students package thousands of meals as part of a service project at Central College.

The former Iowa Governor spoke to a crowd as part of Martin Luther King, Jr Day activities in the Maytag Student Center. Secretary Vilsack says this type of project fits in well with some of the nutrition initiatives at the USDA, and allowed him to engage with students about their future plans.

“These young people are doing a great service by basically creating a meal that will feed six people,” Vilsack says.

“It was also an opportunity for me talk about what USDA can do in terms of a school like Central.”

Students teamed up and Americorps volunteers to package 7000 meals, which was made possible through a $2,500 MLK Day of Service grant. Jordan Langer, Americorps VISTA, tells KNIA/KRLS News it was special to have Vilsack speak and participate in packing the food.

“Anytime you can get someone from the top of government, especially the USDA, the Secretary of Agriculture, it’s pretty impressive,” Langer says. “He was looking for a rural, Iowa food insecurity project, which we fit on every facet.”

Donations will be made to the Pella Food Shelf, I Have a Dream Foundation, and Central Iowa Shelter Veteran Services.

The volunteer project took place after a speech by Dianne Dillon-Ridgley in Douwstra Auditorium. Her talk, “Sustainability, Justice and Hunger: Sowing a Brighter Future,” addressed a moral obligation for economic and social justice.