University Ministry’s Spring Fling of Morning Service provides for hungry

On Saturday, March 5, more than 200 volunteers from the Saint Leo University community gathered for the Spring Fling Morning of Service. Volunteers joined with University Ministry and Cross Catholic Outreach to package more than 40,000 meals in the Glen E. Greenfelder-Janet L. Denlinger Boardrooms in the Student Community Center at University Campus. The packaged meals will be sent to different locations around the world to help aid victims of hunger and natural disasters.

The service project was an excellent way for Saint Leo community members to kick off the season of Lent, to practice the Saint Leo core value of community, and to follow Christ’s admonition, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)

The Students Engaged in Rewarding Volunteer Experiences (SERVE) project also was an opportunity for friendly competition, as Father Randall Meissen, university chaplain, offered a challenge to all of the student clubs and organizations on campus: The club or organization that had the most participants register to volunteer would be honored with the Chaplain’s Challenge Award and would get to choose a color to dye Meissen’s beard for a day.

The competition was close—the men’s soccer team emerged triumphant as the group with the most volunteer participants, and Meissen’s beard was dyed a bright green in the team’s honor.

University Ministry’s next service project will be taking place during Spring Break, from March 13-19. Students will travel to Life Teen’s Camp Hidden in Dahlonega, GA, to help with demolition, construction, and remodeling projects.

Students who are interested in participating can sign up on the Ministry website, at https://ministry.saintleo.edu/spring-break-2022-trip-to-camp-hidden-lake.

Photos by Isaac Jeter, Story by Alora Peters