Woodlands Academy students volunteer to help the hungry

Nearly 30 Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart students volunteered their time recently to help prepare food packets at Feed My Starving Children.

“One in eight people around the world goes hungry, meaning they don’t know where their next meal will come from and when,” a site volunteer told the students at the onset of their work Jan. 17 at the Libertyville site, 742 E. Park Ave.

“Volunteers are the heart and soul of this organization. Without you, we would not exist.”

Woodlands Academy students and 30 students from Notre Dame College Prep in Niles volunteered together for their first service project. These students, as well as local Cub Scout groups, worked in teams for two hours to prepare the scientifically-formed manna packs that contain vitamins, dried vegetables, soy and rice. Each packet is prepared in a particular order and weighed for accuracy before being sealed and boxed for shipment.

Volunteers that afternoon packed 142 boxes, which represented 30,672 meals. This amount of meals translates to enough nourishment to feed 84 kids for an entire year.

Woodlands Academy requires each student to do at least 70 hours of community service prior to graduation. Many students, though, are passionate about helping others and perform significantly more hours.