Hundreds Gather for Annual Mission Convocation Service Project

Hundreds Gather for Annual Mission Convocation Service Project

A great act of service and solidarity.

That's how Father Kevin Nadolski, OSFS, Ph.D., vice president for mission, described the sixth annual Mission Convocation.

Hundreds of faculty, staff, and students came together-this time in Billera Hall-for a prayer service and service project assembling thousands of meal packages for people in Africa.

"As our T-shirts say from Pope Francis: 'May the voice of those who suffer hunger silently become through us a roar to shake the world.' Let's shake the world with our compassion and our solidarity," Fr. Nadolski said.

During the prayer service, Erin McLaughlin, Ph.D., newly appointed interim dean of the College of Arts, Education, and Humanities reflected on the University core value of humility.

"Humility inspires us to approach each day with an open heart and mind, knowing that we are surrounded by remarkable faculty, staff, and students. It reminds me that leadership is not about having all the answers but about creating an environment where collaboration, learning, and growth can flourish."

Erin McLaughlin, Ph.D., interim dean of the College of Arts, Education, and Humanities

After a closing prayer, the crowd began compiling the meal packages, each one designed to feed six people in Zaire, Zambia, and South Africa. All told, 25,000 packages were assembled, feeding more than 150,000 people, many of them children.

Helen Ortega '28, a first-year nursing major, said the service project showed that the DSU community is willing to take the time to give back without expecting anything in return.

"As a first-year student, I really enjoyed volunteering because it was an act of generosity, and I had the chance to learn more about the core values of DeSales," Ortega said. "Service is important to me because while traveling to South America, I have seen how people lack resources. Therefore, I love that we can feed thousands of people who need it and help improve communities."

The Office of Community Service and Advocacy partnered once again with Rise Against Hunger, a nonprofit that aids food crises in Africa, to make the service project a reality.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.