St. Thomas to Host Feed My Starving Children MobilePack Event May 6-7

The University of St. Thomas will host a Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event Wednesday, May 6, and Thursday, May 7. During the MobilePack, volunteers from the St. Thomas community will pack more than 100,000 meals for starving children around the world. The event, themed Tommies Together, is free and open to St. Thomas students, faculty, staff, alumni, neighbors and friends.

Volunteers may choose from three shifts: 4-6 p.m. or 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, or 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 7. All shifts will be held at Campus Way on the second floor of the Anderson Student Center. UPDATE, April 28: The only shift with space remaining for volunteers is 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, May 6. Sign up now.

The Tommies Together MobilePack event was initiated by Father Larry Snyder, vice president for mission, in conjunction with the annual St. Thomas Day celebration. According to Snyder, the event is an effort to respond to the university's strategic planning goal of establishing a culture of service. "This annual day of service tied to our celebration of St. Thomas Day is a visible reminder we have an obligation to share our talents and to give back by working for the common good," he said. "That’s all part of being a Tommie."

Learn more and register for the MobilePack event at stthomas.edu/tommiestogether.

A Christian nonprofit founded in 1987, Feed My Starving Children tackles world hunger by sending volunteer-packed, nutritious meals to 70 countries, where they are used to operate orphanages, schools, clinics and feeding programs to break the cycle of poverty. Last year, FMSC welcomed nearly 900,000 volunteers to pack more than 229 million meals. The Minnesota-based charity spends 92 percent of total donations directly on feeding the hungry and has earned the highest four-star rating from Charity Navigator for 10 consecutive years.

MobilePack events enable people across the United States to pack FMSC’s life-giving MannaPack meals. Churches, businesses, community groups and schools in more than 35 states have hosted these food-packing events as a way to foster teamwork and unity, while making a real difference in the fight to prevent and reverse malnutrition. FMSC provides guidance and logistics. Local donors and volunteers provide funds and labor to pack the meals.

FMSC's CEO Mark Crea is a 1978 St. Thomas alumnus and is this year's undergraduate commencement speaker. He was featured in St. Thomas magazine in 2013.