Tommies pack bags of food for Feed My Starving Children

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Cheers can be heard across the second floor of the Anderson Student Center as students line up along tables and pack boxes of food for Feed My Starving Children. It’s the second day of the three-day event, and Senior Event Supervisor for FMSC Paul Dopkins is impressed by the turnout.

“We’ve had some great participation by some really thoughtful students,” Dopkins said.

Dopkins claims that many of the cheers come from the volunteer workers who are packing bags of food and putting those bags into boxes.

“They cheer whenever they finish a box or need a new ingredient,” Dopkins said.

Each bag contains vitamin powder, dried potatoes and carrots, soy product and rice. Dopkins estimates that during the three-day event, volunteers will make 108,000 meals. This is the second year FMSC had partnered with St. Thomas, and Dopkins looks forward to a third.

Flynn Area Director Erin Whipkey is also looking forward to year three.

“I love it,” Whipkey said. “It’s great for students to see how they can impact the greater good.”

Many students expressed a passion for the volunteer work and for FMSC in general. Junior Britney Ellspermann regularly volunteers for FMSC with her family at its Eagan location.

“I have volunteered with Feed My Starving Children before, so having it come to campus made it really easy to volunteer,” Ellspermann said. “It’s a really good organization with a good mission.”

Sophomore Sarah Schuler worked on the marketing team to plan Tommies Together — the name for the day of service. She said she enjoyed helping raise awareness for this cause.

“It’s a great way to give back to the community. St. Thomas is all about the common good, and this is definitely helping do that,” Schuler said. “I have always had a passion for volunteering and want to go into nonprofit work, so helping out was a no-brainer.”

Sophomore Jake Smith said he loves coming together with fellow Tommies for a good cause.

“Service is really important to me,” Smith said. “A service that does Christian work and was started by a Tommie was really attractive to me.”