HAYDEN — In hairnets and gloves, North Idaho Christian School's 220 students prepared meals with blessings and love.

The students worked in rotations throughout the day March 14 to pack 10,000 vitamin-rich meals of rice and lentils that will feed people in Bangladesh, a historically high-poverty, highly populated South Asian country.

“There is a huge need in Bangladesh,” North Idaho Christian School Communications Director Jennifer Scott said.

The annual Feed the Need packing event takes place in the school's gym, where shifts of younger students and their elder counterparts assemble the meals and prepare them to be shipped to their destination. Students also decorate the boxes with colorful pictures and notes of encouragement.

“It makes my heart happy to see that the kids get so involved in it, and that they want to help and serve," Scott said.

This was junior Ashley Mishin's third time participating in Feed the Need. She said it puts into perspective how other people aren't so privileged to go to a private Christian school where food is guaranteed.

"I love that we can all come together and work together as a school to do this," Ashley said. "It really unites us.”

Klayten Morrell, sixth grade, diligently worked to ensure each bag that came to him was the proper weight before it was handed to the vacuum sealer station.

“I think it’s nice,” he said. "It’s nice to help, and it’s also fun."

Sophomore Chloe Kaiser said it's fun working with the younger students.

"It’s a good thing our school does this every year," she said. 

North Idaho Christian School typically sends its lovingly packed meals to Haiti, but Bangladesh was chosen due to the unrest in Haiti. Last year's meals that were initially going to Haiti were also diverted to relieve hunger in Bangladesh for the same reason.

“They didn’t feel like it was safe for the food to get there and get to the right hands," Scott said.

This year's program also included a Costco shopping trip to help the local nonprofit Children's Village, which provides housing for children of families in crisis. North Idaho Christian School students made cards and wrote messages to their fellow North Idaho kiddos to go along with the Children's Village supply delivery.

"It’s everything for their pantry — food for breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and we want to support their new community center," Scott said.

    A packaged meal is ready to be boxed as Kanin Leard, left, tosses it into the air to be caught by his fellow North Idaho Christian School sixth graders Kowen Lawhead, center, Rhema Buck, center right, and Hana Gallegos, right, March 14 during the Feed the Need packing event.
  

    Junior James Deschryber assists 4-year-old Jack Thomas with building a box tower March 14 during the Feed the Need packing party at North Idaho Christian School in Hayden.