Over 1,000 LU students serve at campus meal packing event for Haiti

Liberty University’s LaHaye Multipurpose Center buzzed with staff and student volunteers on Friday as they packed meals for children and families in need in Haiti.

The event, sponsored by LU Serve in cooperation with Feed My Starving Children and in partnership with Mission of Hope and World Help, was held from 1:30-8:30 p.m. Over 1,000 students served in two-hour slots to pack 272,000 meals. In assembly-line fashion, students prepared MannaPacks (primarily rice, soy, and vegetables, complemented with vitamins and dietary supplements) and loaded them into boxes for distribution.

Developmental psychology senior Samantha Burris highlighted the importance of serving others as a representative of Christ.

“To be a Christian means to serve,” she said, noting that she has traveled on four LU Serve trips during her time as a LU student, from helping Ukrainian refugees in Poland to flooding and tornado cleanup in Kentucky and Georgia and wildfire relief in Hawaii. “Just knowing the heart of our God, who are we to not show people that same heart? We’re called to serve the hurting and those who are lacking, not just physically but spiritually. We are called to serve the community around us. There is so much joy to be found in walking the calling God has given us. It’s been a privilege to be plugged in this way. Every time I do it, it reminds me of why we’re here on this earth.”

Sophomore Resident Assistant Cole Winer spent part of his day packaging boxes and loading them onto pallets. He went to the event with fellow RAs from the Quads dorms. He said the event was an opportunity to imitate Christ’s humility.

“Christ didn’t come to be served, but to serve. If we can serve and show Christ’s love to others, that’s one step closer to sharing the Gospel with them and giving God the glory for it all.”

Nursing senior Hannah Rodriguez echoed his sentiment, noting that Christ willingly washed his disciples’ feet to model true servanthood. She said she originally decided to attend Liberty because of its “mission-minded focus.”

“It’s really awesome we can reach people who might not otherwise be reached by people in the U.S.,” she said. “This is one way we can share the love of Christ with them. It’s awesome we get the opportunity to do this because a lot of places don’t give students the opportunity. I love that Liberty does that and we’re able to share Jesus with people in an unconventional way.”

LU Serve exists to Train Champions for Christ by providing engaging educational and ministry experiences for students. This is accomplished through intentional partnerships with organizations that embrace and support Liberty University’s mission and purpose. LU Serve provides meaningful service opportunities such as CSER and CSER trips, LU Serve Now domestic and international humanitarian aid and disaster relief trips, and Serve Lynchburg. LU Serve provides campus-wide exposure events such as Global Focus Week and the Serve Expo, inspiring and engaging workshops, and curated training sessions. Through these opportunities, students can learn from key practitioners, and partner with approved organizations, faculty, and staff to develop knowledge and skills which will help them prepare for a career and impact the world.