Cyclones volunteer at Feed My Starving Children

While Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” blared through the speakers of a warehouse in Aurora, roughly 90 Moraine Valley student-athletes, coaches and Athletics staff sung along and sweated while filling and sealing bags with food before boxing them for shipment to starving kids around the world during their volunteer project at Feed My Starving Children.

Mostly freshmen athletes and some sophomores took part in the charity work for a couple of hours on Aug. 10. Everyone worked at a different table represented by a country such as Burkina Faso, the Philippines, Ghana, and Haiti, where the boxes would be shipped. Volunteers scooped one of the modified food stock—soy, potato, rice—in designated amounts into a “Manna Pack” bag before it was sealed shut and packed 36 to a box.

Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit Christian organization that sends hand-packed meals specially formulated for malnourished children to nearly 70 countries in need. They consider packing one box per person a good day. Moraine Valley’s crew along with additional volunteers totaling 118 filled 177 boxes which is 38,232 meals that could feed 105 children for a year. One box holds 216 meals.

“I was very proud of our students who went above and beyond in this volunteer group project. They worked hard, had fun and were classy representatives of our great college in helping prepare a tremendous amount of food for starving children across the world,” said Bill Finn, athletics director.

Athletics secretary Mary Nagel had previously volunteered with the organization and thought it would be a good team-building activity where incoming freshmen especially could get to know each other while having fun. And so far the feedback has been positive.

“We never did anything like this before so it was a nice change,” said sophomore Cyclone tennis player Agnieszka Szudy. “It was enjoyable. I really liked it.”

“I thought the experience was very beneficial. The girls were having so much fun, I don’t think they even realized the good deed they were doing,” said head women’s soccer Coach Al Palar.

“As athletes, we’re blessed with a lot of opportunities that many people don’t have. It’s great to give back to those less fortunate. I really liked it,” said Joey Ruzevich, freshman Cyclone basketball player.