Nearly a dozen fourth- and fifth-graders squeezed into a small kitchen at St. Mary’s Catholic School Tuesday afternoon to pack sack lunches for a nearby homeless shelter.

In assembly line fashion, a few students placed lunchmeat between a pair of buns before passing the sandwich down the metal table to another group of students who added cheese and mustard.

Other students placed an apple and a bottle of water into each paper bag, all of which were decorated by the Niles school’s kindergarten and first grade students. Second- and third graders pitched in by writing notes that were placed in each bag.

By the time they were finished, more than 70 sack lunches were ready to be taken to the Center for the Homeless in South Bend, Indiana.

“This is part of Catholic schools week and one of the things we like the students to participate in is a community service project,” said Abbi Wegner, school board member. “This is our attempt at that.”

Several local businesses donated items to the cause.

Jimmy Johns donated all the bread, while Harding’s gave the school a greatly reduced price on meat. Martin’s Supermarket donated the apples and Hagen Insurance Agency provided money to pay for the rest.

“It was nice to get that support,” Wegner said.

Several St. Mary’s students said they were happy to help with a good cause, including fifth-grader Cameron Cole.

“I think it is important because the homeless people don’t have a lot of money to get food and they need help because it is cold out,” he said. “This will help keep them from starving.”

Wegner took the sack lunches to the homeless shelter Tuesday afternoon.

It is the second year in a row the school has made sack lunches for the homeless.

St. Mary’s Catholic School is a pre-kindergarten to fifth grade elementary school that is part of the Kalamazoo Diocese school district.