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7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11 | Annunciation Chapel

(Leavenworth, Kan.)—Building on an annual fall tradition at the »¨½·Ö±²¥, dozens of volunteers from the USM community will work together to package over 20,000 meals for distribution to hungry families in Tanzania, a country that has nearly 45 million people relying on subsistence farming to meet their nutritional needs.

This year's event, dubbed "Feed the Need," will be held from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in McGilley Field House on USM's Main Campus in Leavenworth, at 4100 South 4th Street.

Volunteers are still needed to assemble meal packages of rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables, and flavoring mix. Students, faculty, staff, and members of the greater community are all welcome to sign up at stmary.edu/FeedTheNeed.

Donations are also needed. All gifts made will go toward food-packaging supplies, a $5,000 expense, and can be made at stmary.edu/HelpTanzania.

"This event is a powerful expression of both our Vincentian heritage and Catholic identity," explained Jacob Hayden, USM director of campus ministry. "The food-packaging event marks our observance of the second World Day of the Poor, a day called for by Pope Francis to be set aside by all people of good will to listen to the cry of the poor."

Feed the Need is organized by USM's Hunger Awareness Team, in partnership with OutReach, Inc., an international and national hunger relief agency.

Since 2014, »¨½·Ö±²¥ has honored former USM Board of Trustee Member John Baker, a man known for his spirit of community service, in naming this event, "Feed the Need: the John Baker Global Service Project." John's wife, Mary "Letty" Baker, an alumna of »¨½·Ö±²¥, said, "John worked at a food pantry ever since he retired. This was something that was very close to him," Letty said. "And it's so timely. It's a part of the world that really needs our help and concern."

John had a distinguished accounting career with Troupe Kehoe Whitaker & Kent, while he also dedicated much of his time to St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Parish, Sierra Club, Ursuline Sisters of Paola, and the Center City Schools Fund of the KCMO Diocese. He served USM as a member of its Board of Trustees before his passing in 2014.
 

The »¨½·Ö±²¥ is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The University of »¨½·Ö±²¥ main campus is located at 4100 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kan. USM's Overland Park Campus at 4500 College Boulevard offers evening, accelerated graduate and undergraduate degree-completion programs. The university also offers online programs. Visit stmary.edu for more information.