Food is something most people in America take for granted. For others in the world, however, food is an essential part of life they sometimes have to live without. One event on campus aims to change this.
Last year, El Legado de Compasión held it’s first annual Kids Against Hunger event where student volunteers gather in Becker and it’s back again this year. Instead of eating lunch, however, the students package food for children who are suffering from hunger all over the world.
Arts & Sciences senior Carolyn Wanberg said the event helps her recognize the problems the rest of the world is facing every day.
“[Kids Against Hunger] helps me to remember that the world is a whole lot bigger than Creighton, and that as incredibly privileged college students, we constantly need to be taking the time to recognize the reality that the majority of the world faces every day,” Wanberg said. “Extreme hunger and poverty, unfortunately, are a large part of reality.”
Teams of four will meet in Becker on Sunday to prepare 30,000 nutritious meals. The teams are a great chance for friends to give back together, Wanberg said.
“Creighton students are always looking for more ways to change the world and make a difference,” Wanberg said. “This is a perfect way to enjoy time with your friends while also making a huge, concrete difference for those who need it.”
Once the meals have been packed, they will be sent to children in Haiti and an orphanage in Sierra Leone. Kids Against Hunger’s mission is to significantly reduce hunger, not just in the United States, but also throughout the world.
Arts & Sciences junior Ana Heck, who helped organize this year’s event, said the event helps students connect with the communities for which they are providing.
“Creighton students are aware of how much hunger there is in the world but this is an opportunity to do something concrete about it,” Heck said. “They can make a connection about how they can help.”
According to the national Kids Against Hunger organization, over 16,000 children die every day from hunger related causes. Heck spent last spring in the Dominican Republic and said that this event is a perfect opportunity for her to still feel like she is making a difference.
“Since I have seen students who are not fed well and who are hungry, this is a way to still help even though I’m not directly involved with the people,” Heck said. “It’s nice to see people with enthusiasm helping out.”
In fact, El Legado de Compasión is for students like Heck. It is a student organization created for those who were involved in service trips and are looking to continue their passion and to some way feel connected to the communities they helped in the past.
Service, especially events like Kids Against Hunger, can change a person’s outlook on life, Wanberg said.
“Service helps me to see the bigger picture, humbles me in my college lifestyle and is the very least I can do after everything I’ve been blessed with,” Wanberg said.