Seventh-grade students, their teachers, and Pella Middle School staff aimed to make a dent in world hunger earlier today.

Student organizer Hannah Nedder tells KNIA/KRLS News more than 150 classmates were able to pack more than 20,000 meals for those in need through Meals from the Heartland. Nedder organized the project as part of her service project in Kristin Schulz’s and Dana Sadler’s social studies classes at Pella Middle School.

“In September, we called Meals from the Heartland to ask them just some questions about fighting world hunger and we asked them what it would take for Meals from the Heartland to come to our school and it was $4000,” she says.

Nedder, with help from her mother, was able to secure a grant through the Pella Community Foundation for $2,000, with the other half coming from a match provided by Meals from the Heartland. Students in the social studies classes have been working on various service projects throughout the year for a variety of non-profit organizations.