Peter Kim and a dozen or so other Meeker Middle School<\/a> students couldn’t help but feel good after what they accomplished Saturday morning in Kent.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n They joined about 160 other volunteers at the Northwest Harvest food bank <\/a>distribution warehouse along West Valley Highway to box 42,896 pounds of apples and packaged 18,800 pounds of rice in just over two hours. Crews distributed the apples and rice this week to Western Washington food banks.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “We talked about how much fun it was and that we want to come back,” Kim said. “It’s a rewarding feeling you get from helping other people.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Kim is part of Meeker’s eighth-grade leadership class taught by Travis Wood. The 25-student class helps raise money for the school, puts on school assemblies, runs a lunchtime recycling program and performs numerous other projects.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Wood also requires each student to do at least four hours of community service per quarter.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “It can be tough for middle school students to understand that it’s better to give than receive and that they do receive a lot by giving,” Wood said about the volunteer service.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Several students packaged pasta last month at Northwest Harvest. They enjoyed it so much they wanted to return this month to the warehouse. They brought back even more students as well as principal Jeffrey Pelzel.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “These kids will do this the rest of the year,” Wood said. “It’s a way to get community service and it gives them a good feeling to do the right thing.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n