By Laura Sheedy

Student Activities

On Monday, Nov. 4, Real Hope for the Hungry joined with half of the Pacelli student body to help bridge the gap of hunger by packaging food for those in need.

Real Hope for the Hungry is a local satellite organization of Kids Against Hunger. The organization is funded by private donations and uses volunteers to hand-pack meals. These meals are then donated to food partners around the world who distribute the food to the neediest of God’s children.

Using Pacelli’s three tenets of faith, scholarship and service as a guide, our students joined together with their Mass buddies to package food. During our weekly school Mass, students from different grades are paired together to foster a relationship and encourage positive behavior in and out of the church setting. Building on those relationships, Mass buddies joined together with Real Hope for the Hungry to pack meals; second-graders with eighth grade buddies, third-graders with freshmen buddies, and fourth-graders with sophomore buddies.

Donning hair nets, aprons and gloves, students stood side by side on an assembly line and got to work. Students measured out rice, soy, vegetables and powdered vitamins into plastic pouches. The filled pouches were handed off to another group of students who used scales to make sure that each pouch was the correct weight before it was sealed. Another group of students had the task of making sure that the correct number of pouches made it into each box before the box was sealed up and set aside for delivery.

After each group completed their task, they gathered around the boxes that they packed and prayed over the food before it set on its journey.  In a few short hours, Pacelli Catholic students packaged 9,504 meals.

In January, Real Hope for the Hungry will return and the remaining grades of Mass Buddies will package food for those who might otherwise go hungry. Pacelli students do fundraising to help pay for some of the supplies of food used during the packing session; however, donations to Real Hope for the Hungry are always appreciated. You can learn more about the organization on their Facebook page or email them at realhopforthehungry@gmail.com.

If you are interested in learning more about Pacelli Catholic Schools, visit our website at www.pacellischools.org, email admin@pacellischools.org or call 507-437-3278.