HELENA – By most estimates, over 20% of Helena area children live in food-insecure homes. When Carroll College’s Public Health students learned of these neighbors in need, they decided to do something. Students in Intro to Health Sciences began gathering food in a new program called “Forty Days of Food.”
During the spring, Catholics observe Lent which is a time of reflection and prayer, and many use the time to abstain from something to remind us of our blessings. “Forty Days of Food’ is pretty simple,” said Britlyn Mailey, a first-year health sciences major. “Instead of abstaining from eating sweets, for example, we decided that we could use this time to share our blessings with others.”
For the forty days of lent, over forty Carroll students have been collecting one food item per day. These items range from cans of tuna to pasta to fruit snacks. On April 13, students will deliver the food boxes to Helena Food Share for distribution during the Easter season.
“I am so proud of our students,” said Kelly Parsley, associate professor and chair of Carroll’s Health Sciences department. “Lots of students just focus on academics and friends, but with Carroll students, you can always expect them to be serving others.”
Student Bersie Zellele, a junior health sciences major said, “When you are a student, you feel broke all the time and feel you don’t have many ways you can reach out and help others, but this program made it easy and fun to support those who may be struggling a little.”
Students will be delivering their “Forty Days of Food” food boxes to Helena Food Share on April 13, at 3:00 pm, 1616 Lewis St., Helena.
For further information on the program contact:
Kelly Parsley
Associate Professor, Health Sciences
406-439-0072
kparsley@carroll.edu