On March 10, over 100 St. John’s University students and staff collaborated with the consulting firm Protiviti for a meal packing and networking event. The event was open to all students to register for on Handshake, advertising the event to students across all majors.
Some organizations, such as the St. Vincent DePaul Society and various fraternities and sororities attended the event.
It began at 2 p.m. in Marillac Terrace with welcoming remarks from University President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. He emphasized the University’s Vincentian roots and dedication to charism.
He also mentioned that the issue of food insecurity is not a distant concern; Fr. Shanley highlighted the food pantry on campus, a recent addition to student resources. Some of the meals packed at the event will remain at the University to nourish struggling students.
Resident minister Elvria Garcia, who assisted with the event, thought it was a huge success: “It’s cool to see the energy from students and hear from the president and CEO about their goal to end world hunger.”
This excitement to give back was palpable among the students, who smiled as they sported matching Protiviti t-shirts.
Rev. Shanley’s sentiment was echoed by Protiviti CEO Joseph Tarrantino, who joined the St. John’s community for the event. He explained that in addition to consulting, the firm is dedicated to a mission of service. Tarrantino shared information about the company’s i on Hunger initiative, which has allowed for over 17 million meals to be packed around the world.
Protiviti partnered with the Brooklyn-based food provider St. John’s Bread and Life for this event, so the meals could be distributed across the five boroughs.
Following the introductory speeches, volunteers were instructed to gather around one of five assembly lines in order to quickly prepare bagged breakfasts. The process ran smoothly, and hundreds of bags were packed within minutes.
After an hour of productive packing, volunteers were invited to enjoy refreshments in the Marillac Cafeteria and reflect on their service experiences. They also had the opportunity to network with Protiviti employees.
Sophomore Justin O’Flaherty, a member of the St. Vincent DePaul Society, was eager to volunteer and happy with his experience. He simply encapsulated the purpose of the event, explaining that “It’s nice to see that we, as a Vincentian school, can gather to help the community.”
