Feed the Need! at Benedictine University: A local event with global impact

When hundreds of volunteers file into Rice Arena at Benedictine University on March 7-8, they will be doing something remarkable: fighting hunger on two fronts at once, reaching children halfway around the world while making sure families right here at home don’t go without.

Feed the Need! is back, and this year it’s more meaningful than ever.

At the heart of the weekend is a partnership with Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit dedicated to providing nutritious meals to children facing severe hunger worldwide.

Volunteers of all ages will work side by side, packing meals that will travel thousands of miles to reach children in desperate need. It’s hands-on, it’s tangible, and for many participants, it’s the kind of experience that stays with you long after you have gone home.

But the generosity doesn’t stop at the international level. This year, Feed the Need! is partnering with Loaves & Fishes Community Services. Donation bins will be set up near the registration area, and volunteers are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items to help stock local pantry shelves.

The idea is simple and powerful: one act of showing up can help a child across the ocean and a neighbor down the street. For information on what to bring and what not to bring, visit the Loaves and Fishes website, loaves-fishes.org/ways-to-give/#DonateFood.

Event leaders are calling it a chance to “double the impact,” and it’s easy to see why. Hunger is both a global crisis and a pressing local reality, and Feed the Need! refuses to look away from either. That dual focus is what gives this weekend its special energy, a sense that every meal packed and every can donated is part of something much larger than any one person.

With more than 2,500 participants expected, the atmosphere in Rice Arena is sure to be electric. There’s something undeniably moving about being in a room full of people who are all there for the same reason: to give, to connect, and to make a real difference.

Whether you’re a longtime volunteer or someone looking for a meaningful way to get involved for the first time, Feed the Need! offers exactly that. Come ready to work, come ready to give, and come ready to be inspired by just how much a community can accomplish when it comes together.

Mark your calendars for March 7-8 at Benedictine University. Bring a friend, bring your family, and bring a few cans from your pantry. Together, we can create real, lasting change, one meal and one donation at a time.

For more information on registering or what to bring, visit feedtheneedillinois.org.