“Be doers of the word and not hearers only.”
James 1:22
The Ursuline Sisters invite everyone to be “doers of the word” this October at a major service opportunity that will feed starving children.
An estimated 820 million people do not have enough to eat, and in the poorest countries, families sometimes go days without food. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 3 million children die from hunger-related causes each year — that’s one child every 10 seconds.
On Saturday, October 26, 2024, at Brescia University’s Moore Center, 717 Frederica Street in Owensboro, Ky., volunteers will gather from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a food packing event of Vitafood meals. Vitafood provides nutrient-rich food products which are designed to meet the dietary needs of malnourished children and adults. These packs, consisting of fortified rice, beans, vegetables, soy products, and vitamins, are shipped to needy families. Each meal pack, sealed in an airtight bag, feeds six individuals.
To help celebrate 150 years since the Ursuline Sisters arrived at Maple Mount, the goal is to gather at least 150 volunteers – ages 13 and up – to pack meals for four hours, producing 50,000 meals for children and adults in need. This is the last planned event to bring friends and supporters together with the Sisters during this anniversary year, as we attempt to “Cultivate the Vine that Saint Angela Entrusted to Us.” Won’t you help us to bear fruit to feed the hungry?
The Ursuline Sisters are partnering with Cross Catholic Outreach, which will deliver the food supplies to Owensboro and then ship the completed meal packages to those in need. Cross Catholic provides this service to volunteers all over the United States.
We hope you will be able will join us on Oct. 26 for this wonderful event. If you are able to participate, please respond to Sister Martha Keller at [email protected], or Dan Heckel at [email protected]. You can also sign up directly with Cross Catholic here.
If you can’t participate in person but want to support this effort, you can donate here. It will take $16,500 to produce 50,000 meals – quite a bargain at just 33 cents per meal! Cross Catholic reports that a $250 donation will provide 757 meals. A $1,000 donation will provide 3,030 meals.
It’s estimated that more than 15,000 children die every day worldwide from hunger. If we all work together, we can do a small part to help those in need. May God bless you in whatever way you can help our most vulnerable people.