On MU’s Wesley Heritage Day, dozens of students, faculty, and staff – along with some volunteers from the greater Fayetteville community – gathered inside the Nimocks Fitness Center on campus for a meal-packing event.
Giving and selflessness are not necessarily rare acts on the campus of Methodist University. But today, it was palpable.
On MU’s Wesley Heritage Day, dozens of students, faculty, and staff – along with some volunteers from the greater Fayetteville community – gathered inside the Nimocks Fitness Center on campus for a meal-packing event.
In partnership with Rise Against Hunger, Methodist University volunteers packed 10,500 non-perishable and healthy meals for people in need around the world. The meals will be distributed through global partners that administer school feeding programs, orphanages, health clinics, vocational training, and others.
The meal-packing event was made possible by the Wesley Heritage Endowment, which was established by Dr. L. Elbert and Lois Wethington. The fund honors John Wesley, who was a traveling evangelist, revivalist preacher, theological writer, and pioneer of the Methodist movement.
“The Wesleyan tradition is about educating the whole student – helping them find their purpose and meaning, develop a sense of how to be effective citizens, and then, of course, preparing them for careers,” said Methodist University President Stanley T. Wearden. “This event is closely connected to that tradition because we all have to recognize there’s a bigger world outside of yourself and this University – a world that is hurting sometimes. It’s great for our students to have this opportunity to do something for others as a part of their growth and development as students.”
Senior Sean Coleman organized the event on MU’s behalf, helping fulfill his final project requirements as a Community Engagement fellow.
“It always relates back to community service,” said the Engineering major, who is minoring in Mathematics and Business Administration. “I’m not only putting my degree skills to use by fundraising and putting on this event, but I’m also able to give back to the community in a way that makes an impact on other people’s lives. I simply want to make the world a better place than it was today.”
Methodist University has a strong history of holding Wesleyan Heritage Day events dating back to 2004.
“We are deeply grateful to the family of Elbert and Lois Wethington for establishing the Wesley Heritage Endowment for the purpose of celebrating the heritage and continuing the promise of the Wesleyan tradition in the context of a vibrant college campus,” said Rev. Kelli Taylor, University chaplain and vice president of Mission Integration and Student Well-Being.
The meal-packing event was not the only form of giving by the MU community on Wednesday. The University’s Campus Dining Services, Campus Engagement, and Community Engagement also hosted a “Stock the Pantry” event, which allowed Monarchs to use a swipe on their Green & Gold dining card to donate one pound of groceries to the Lion’s Share Food Pantry – an on-campus food collection that serves faculty, staff, and students.
You can view photos from Wednesday’s meal-packing on the Methodist University Flickr page.