Islamic Relief USA, along with partner Rise Against Hunger, will hold a meal packaging event in Nashville to benefit school children in several countries around the world.

The meal packaging event will take place on Saturday, November 10, at 156 Space Park Drive.

"Children are dropping out of grade school just to help their family find their next meal. Projects like these allow children to go to school and be around their peers without worrying where their next meal will come from," said Said Durrah, national volunteer manager for IRUSA. "Countless studies have shown the link between healthful food and better concentration. Being able to work with terrific organizations like Rise Against Hunger makes this experience even more worthy."

Islamic Relief USA volunteers are expected to pack some 10,000 meals at the session. The meals consist of rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and 23 essential vitamins and minerals.

Many of the meals are expected to go to students in Africa. Various countries on that continent have suffered in recent years from either natural or man-made disasters. Tennessee is just one of many locations where the meal-packaging sessions will take place. Islamic Relief USA has held meal-packing sessions in Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, California, Kansas, Texas, and Massachusetts.

Between all these locations, Islamic Relief USA hopes to pack a total of 500,000 meals by early December. Opportunities to volunteer are still available.

For more information on this program, visit the website, irusa.org/mealpack.