At the end of last school year, the freshmen dedicated their day of service to packaging nearly 50,000 meals for Feed the Hunger, a project that sends food to children in need all around the world.
Recently, photos shared by the organization showed those same meals arriving at Mother Eleanor Wuo’s orphanage in Liberia, which is a country located in West Africa. Elwuo Children’s Home provides daily care for around 40 children, all without any government funding.
“Feed the Hunger meals have been an answer to her prayer,” Vicky Stelling, Project Distribution Coordination of Feed the Hunger, said. “They ensure the children are receiving consistent, highly nutritious meals.”
The Freshman Day of Service was first introduced in 2024, providing even more students with an opportunity to live out the school’s mission through hands-on work.
“I really like it because it makes tangible something that could just be a classroom lesson,” Principal Kevin Poelker said. “It’s not an abstract idea of service. You’re actually seeing the people you helped and understanding that this got shipped globally.”
Feed the Hunger has 46 global partners in 27 countries, and has packaged more than 53 million meals since the organization was founded in 1968. They will return to De Smet in May for the third annual Freshman Day of Service.
“It’s a reminder that our call to service isn’t just a motto,” Poelker said. “We actually do it, and everybody here is capable of contributing in a meaningful way.”
