SHU's Hunger Project Makes a Big Impact with 50,000 Meals

FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Sacred Heart University’s Student Government recently packaged over 50,000 meals for its first SHU Hunger Project, in conjunction with the nonprofit organization, Meals of Hope. 

Students, faculty and staff purchased T-shirts and wristbands prior to the event to support the initiative. They raised over $13,000, which paid for the purchase of mass quantities of dry food such as macaroni and assorted grains.  

Students and faculty volunteers formed assembly lines in University Commons to package the dry food into containers. They rotated in and out of assembly lines in 30-minute intervals throughout the day.

“We initially aimed to produce 25,000 meals through this event, but we already doubled that amount before the halfway point of the day’s activities,” said Taryn McCormick, Student Government president. “I think that this ultimately showcases what Sacred Heart is really all about–our mission and the types of students we recruit here are all focused on giving back and helping out the local communities as much as we possibly can.” 

“We knew that this was something that was much bigger than a student government event. This is a school-wide event, because hunger is such a prevalent issue in today’s society,” said Cory Robinson, vice president of the Council of Clubs and Organizations, which is an extension of the Student Government. “It’s affected our own families and the families of many people living in our local communities, so we really wanted to stress the importance of this initiative this spring semester.” 

Meals of Hope practices a hands-on approach to battling hunger. According to its website, it strives to provide healthy meals that taste good, and to make the meal-packing process affordable and accessible to sponsors and hosts, so they can feed as many families as possible in local communities. 

PHOTO CAPTION: Sacred Heart University's Student Government hosted the SHU Hunger Project in collaboration with Meals of Hope, a non-profit organization that practices a hands-on approach to battling hunger, on March 15, 2018, in University Commons. Photo by Mark F. Conrad. To view additional photos from the event, visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/sacredheartunivpix/albums/72157688861025950.
 

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Submitted by Fairfield, CT

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