5,000 volunteers prepare 100,000 meals in 70 cities for Feed the Country

Thousands of volunteers packed food on Saturday to help the hungry for Feed the Country. The national effort includes events in about 70 cities, with more than half in Texas.

The food packed in each city stayed local and is delivered to agencies the same day within a 10-mile radius. CBS News Texas is a proud sponsor.

It may just be a sandwich, but for those in need, it means the world. About 5,000 volunteers across the country are packing around 100,000 meals to feed the hungry.

Almost 100 volunteers brought their time and enthusiasm to Bowl and Barrel in North Dallas to put together about 1,800 meals for those in need through Feed the Country.

Meagan Gill volunteered through the National Charity League with her 12-year-old daughter, Asha.  

"It makes me feel good and that I should not take things for granted," Asha Gill said.

"It's wonderful, and I'm happy also to be doing it with my daughter. I feel so great to get her involved as well," Meghan Gill said.

Feed the Country is a national day of service powered by Tango Charities' Feed the City movement. The non-profit partnered with the American Heart Association to get recommendations on heart-healthy meals.

Executive Director Nick Marino, Jr. said 42 million Americans face food insecurity, and children are in more than half the households struggling to get food.

"We're not just packing sandwiches. We're packing a little bit of hope," Marino said. "It might be a mom that's getting off her second shift that doesn't have the means right now to pay the electric bill or maybe even meet rent, and she's wondering where we're going to get the next meal from. We hope that these can give a little bit of energy to make their day a little bit better and stronger."

Tango Charities has monthly opportunities to volunteer your time to help those in need. Click here for more information.