(Leavenworth, Kansas) – Volunteers from the University of Saint Mary will package over 30,000 meals on Dec. 6 during its annual Feed the Need event. Packages of macaroni and cheese and oatmeal will be distributed to local families through Catholic Charities.
“This event is a powerful expression of USM's Vincentian heritage and Catholic identity,” Campus Minister Denise Whelan said. “It’s inspiring to see our students, faculty, and staff come together in collective service for our neighbors.”
Since 2014, Saint Mary has honored former USM Board of Trustees Member John Baker, a man known for his spirit of community service, in naming the event, Feed the Need: The John Baker Global Service Project. Baker's wife, Mary "Letty" Baker, a Saint Mary alumna, said, “John worked at a food pantry ever since he retired. This was something that was very close to him.”
John Baker had a distinguished accounting career with Troupe Kehoe Whitaker and Kent, while he also dedicated much of his time to St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Sierra Club, Ursuline Sisters of Paola, and the Center City Schools Fund of the KCMO Diocese. He served USM as a Board of Trustees member before his passing in 2014.
Feed the Need will start at 9 a.m. in McGilley Field House on USM's Leavenworth Campus – 4100 South 4th Street.
The University of Saint Mary is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The University of Saint Mary main campus is located at 4100 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kan. USM-Johnson County, at 11221 Roe Ave., offers evening accelerated graduate and undergraduate degree-completion programs. The university also offers online programs. Visit stmary.edu for more information.