Around 300 people from around the Perry community stopped by Perry Lutheran Homes’ Willis Avenue Campus yesterday to help with the fourth annual Meals from the Heartland packing.

Volunteers represented several different organizations, from the Perry Optimist Club to Dallas County Hospital, and about 60 third grade students from Perry Elementary School. Perry Lutheran Homes Director of Marketing Mollie Clark said there were volunteers of varied experience throughout the day. “It’s been a lot of fun! We actually had stickers for everybody to say if it’s their first, second, third, or fourth year packing. And we’ve had a really great variety, so some people have been here since the very beginning and know what they’re doing and have a lot of fun. And then we’ve had first year people who have also had a lot of fun, but learned a little bit about Meals from the Heartland and what we’re all about here at Perry Lutheran Homes.”

There were 30,024 meals packed yesterday, which will be sent to people in need both domestically and internationally. In the last four years, Meals from the Heartland has contributed 106,920 total meals during the events in Perry. Clark says Perry Lutheran Homes will be changing things up next year, as their focus will be more on helping people in need locally and around Iowa, and volunteers will personally deliver the meals. She offered her sincere thanks to everyone who has volunteered this year and at the three previous events, as well as those that donated food and money to fill the packages.