People on South Whidbey will have a chance to help feed hungry children at a meal packaging event in Langley this week.

Organized through Children of Nations, the event is 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, and 9 a.m. till noon Saturday, Oct. 17 at Island Church of Whidbey, 503 Cascade Ave., Langley.

Volunteers will fill plastic bags with meal ingredients, then seal and box them for shipping. Participants will also hear stories about specific children whose lives have been changed by the food program.

Children of the Nations is a non-profit Christian organization that provides destitute and orphaned children with education and resources. The organization’s method is to give a “hand up” rather than a handout by helping individuals utilize their natural resources to become self-sufficient, according to its website. These hand-ups are provided through Village Partnerships and Children’s Homes in Sierra Leone, Malawi, Uganda, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Liberia and the United States.

In 2014, 150 volunteers attended the meal packaging event in Langley, packaging a total 40,000 meals.

Participation is open to people ages 5-85. Attendance is free, though donations will be accepted.

For details, call Mike Mellison at 360-331-3914 or email mkmellison@gmail.com