500 Volunteers Pack 180,000 Meals in One Iowa Afternoon

When doctors on a 2005 medical mission realized their medicine couldn't help malnourished children, they decided food had to come first.

That realization sparked Then Feed Just One, an organization that's now grown from small packing events in Le Mars, Iowa, to hosting 30 to 40 events every year. On Wednesday afternoon, over 500 volunteers gathered at Nativity Parish in Sioux City for their biggest event yet.

The volunteers worked in three shifts from 4 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., racing to package 180,000 meals. Mater Dei Parish organized the event, their fifth annual packing day and their most ambitious one so far.

They raised $40,000 over six months to purchase the food ingredients, up from $30,000 the year before. That money translates directly into meals that will ship to families around the world who desperately need them.

"They come back, and they tell us about these families, how destitute they are," said Deacon Rick Roder, one of the organizers. Mission team members who visit these communities help volunteers understand the real impact of every package they seal.

The meals started going primarily to Honduras, where the organization had established mission connections. Now they ship food to Africa, Haiti, and even communities within the United States wherever the need exists.

"Basically, if someone needs food, we're going to ship it there, if we can ship it there," said Carolyn Bickford, a board member for Then Feed Just One. The only limit is logistics, not willingness.

The Ripple Effect

What began as a small response to one medical challenge has multiplied into a movement touching multiple continents. The Sioux City community alone mobilized over 500 people for a single afternoon, showing how one city can feed thousands of families they'll never meet.

The growing fundraising numbers tell another story: more people want to help each year. When a community sees the direct connection between their work and hungry children getting fed, the momentum builds naturally.

Four hours of work will provide 180,000 meals to families who might otherwise go without, proving that collective action creates massive impact.