Local hands help those in need

More than 150 parishioners from St. Patrick's Catholic Church spent Sunday packaging 20,000 meals for Helping Hands, a joint effort between Catholic Relief Services and Rise Against Hunger.

"It's an opportunity to be in solidarity with the poor and the hungry throughout the world," Rev. James Heithof said. "There's a sense that when we serve them, we're serving Christ."

The meals cost 50 cents each to produce. Stations with volunteers of all ages put together the rice, dehydrated vegetables and vitamins and minerals into simple packages.

"These are meals that are specially designed for people who suffer from malnutrition," Pat Mertz, St. Patrick's pastoral minister, said. "They're going to go to Burkina Faso, which is a country in Africa that has cycles of flood and drought and lots of hunger issues."

For the church's fourth Helping Hands event, 115 parishioners registered and were joined by another 40, Mertz said.