The Southland High School Student Council is making a tradition of packing meals.

Student council members traveled to Coon Rapids to pack meals for Feed My Starving Children on April 23.

Groups pack bags with ingredients including a vitamin mixture, soy for protein, dried vegetables for flavor and rice for texture, which then go into boxes. The Southland group packed 63 boxes in two shifts, enough food to provide more than 13,000 meals to starving children in the Dominican Republic.

Student Council member Delanie Barnes spent her day scooping vitamins and vegetables.

“It was really fun, and it is great to help out for a good cause,” she said in a press release.

This is the third year council members have made this trip. Junior Chase Gilson was in charge of putting all the bags into boxes for shipment for all three years. This year, Chase boxed 1,188 bags of food.

“Knowing that you can make a difference with world hunger with ‘your own two hands’ has been inspiring. I look forward to going back next year,” he said in a press release.

This year’s packing day trip was arranged by senior Hannah Holst, a three-time volunteer. Student Council Advisor Mrs. Jakubek came up with the original idea to help Feed My Starving Children, but missed this year’s trip for maternity leave.