Students in Austin pack meals for refugees

(ABC 6 News) -Students in Austin raised funds and packaged meals for Ukrainian refugees in Poland Friday.

They packaged over 10 thousand meals with ingredients to sustain a healthy diet.

High school students and advisors organized the event which raised over a thousand dollars and required more than 30 volunteers.

"Over there in Poland not a lot of people have homes cause they just came from a place where there is a war in Ukraine and Russia. So they need food water and many other supplies. So we are trying to send them a message that they are not alone they are not going through this alone, that we will support them in whatever way they need," said Ellis Middle school 7th grader Mariana Palmaneri.

"This is a great opportunity for our young people to take part in, doing some sort of community project and this is one way that they can do their part to be a member of our community, to support our community and to support other people as well, especially people who are in need," said Bill Spitzer, Substance Misuse Director for Austin Positive Action Coalition.

If you want to help, you can send donations to the "STAND committee."

Organizers tell us a generous anonymous donor matched dollar-for-dollar the funds needed to make the project possible.