January 15, 2025

by Emma Alexander
The aroma of cinnamon fills the air as Mount Vernon FFA chapter members guide their high school peers in creating 25,000 meals of cinnamon apple oatmeal to combat hunger in their community.
“Packing meals for Mountaineers was such a success this year. The energy in the room was so high, and it was incredible to see students willing to give up their own time to help others,” says Makayla Piotrowski, Mount Vernon FFA advisor. “We are thankful to our business and organization partners for making this event happen.”
Funded in part by a grant from Missouri Farmers Care’s Drive to Feed Kids, the sixth annual Mountaineers Serve Day saw nearly 300 students participate in the event. The meals will be distributed through the school food pantry, Meals for Mountaineers, as well as local church pantries.
Leading by example
FFA president Raegan Pendleton says the Drive to Feed Kids doesn’t just feed hungry neighbors. It creates experiences that feed the hearts and minds of students through community service.
“Not all valuable lessons are learned in the classroom,” she says. “It was awesome to see how much fun students had talking with their friends while doing something that will impact so many lives.”
The project also included packing 200 hygiene bags, which will be available in the school pantry. Each bag included two toothbrushes, two tubes of toothpaste, one full-size deodorant, two body soaps, two shampoos and conditioners, and an encouraging note written by a student leader.
Funding the effort
While grant funding from Missouri Farmers Care’s Drive to Feed Kids served as a foundation of financial support for Mount Vernon FFA’s food-packing event, FFA and National Honor Society students spent hours on the phone sharing their project with local businesses, churches and individuals asking for monetary support.
“We helped kids learn the valuable lesson of how to talk on the phone and stay organized,” Pendleton says. “This program was challenging to fundraise for, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Student leaders raised $9,521 from the local community to support the service project.

HELPING HANDS: Thanks in part to a grant from Missouri Farmers Care’s Drive to Feed Kids, the packing event was a part of the sixth annual Mountaineer Serve Day. FFA president Raegan Pendleton says the Drive to Feed Kids doesn’t just feed hungry neighbors. It creates experiences that feed the hearts and minds of students through community service.
More than just a food drive
One of the biggest smiles that Pendleton remembers from the day was from high school principal Dr. Garrett Prevo, who experienced Mountaineers Serve Day for the first time.
“We are expected to prepare students for their future endeavors academically, and we also feel called to prepare them in ways beyond the classroom with opportunities for life skills and character development,” Prevo says. “Seeing students willingly serve those in our community, then come together to pack meals for others was a highlight of my career — a testament that the lessons we attempt to instill in our students are sinking in.”
Prevo emphasized the importance of preparing students as future community leaders. He highlighted that service to others is vital for the long-term success of the community and expressed gratitude for the leadership of FFA students and advisors, along with the support from Missouri Farmers Care, in making this initiative possible.
“The Drive to Feed Kids is more than just a food drive. It creates an experience,” Pendleton adds. “The grant money we received didn’t just purchase supplies and allow us to meet a need in our local community. It fed the minds of students and helped change their perspectives. Students were shocked to realize that so many in our community rely on meals from local food pantries.”
Impact of feeding the hungry
Fourteen Missouri FFA chapters have been awarded 2025 Drive to Feed Kids grants through the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation.
In its fifth year, the foundation provided grants for Missouri FFA chapters to fund local food security efforts. Since 2017, the initiative garnered more than 13 million meals.
Missouri Farmers Care Foundation’s Drive to Feed Kids annually raises resources and awareness in addressing needs faced by food insecure families. The 2025 drive will continue through summer and culminate at the Missouri State Fair in August.
Companies, organizations and individuals can donate to visiting mofarmerscare.com/drive.

COMMUNITY ENGAGED: Businesses and members of the community also donated to support the meal-prepping event.
Mount Vernon supporters
The Mount Vernon student body wishes to thank the following businesses and organizations for their generosity to Mountaineers Serve Day meal-packing event:
CIA
Hills Feed and More
Pendleton 5 Farms
Miller Christian Church
Life Bridge
Rotary Club
The Lawrence County Record
Tom Kissee
HomeTown Pharmacy
Ozark Electric Co-Op
Cowherd Law Office
Complete Image Studio
Morris Electric
Farmer's Daughter Cakes and More
Community Garden
Butterball
Super Lube
Trogdon
Nobleberry
MV Animal Hospital
Lambda Omega of Beta Sigma PHI
Tents for All Events
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