Because of the efforts of volunteers around Delaware County and the Feed My Sheep Community Outreach Program, hundreds of underprivileged families and individuals in the Muncie area were able to enjoy a decent meal this Thanksgiving.
Feed My Sheep hosted its 16th annual food drive on Thursday, delivering meals to families across Muncie, as well as serving those who visited Muncie Central High School for a hot meal.
On Thanksgiving alone, more than 300 registered volunteers participated in the outreach program, including President Jo Ann Gora and numerous Ball State students. Volunteers were expected to sort canned foods, check expiration dates, load food for delivery, prepare and serve food.
Nathan Pace, senior journalism and communications major and Feed My Sheep public relations representative, said the event raised in excess of $13,000. Those proceeds not only covered the costs of this year's food drive, but also most of next year's Thanksgiving.
"This year was the most successful year that Feed My Sheep has had," Pace said. "It keeps getting bigger each year."
Feed My Sheep was also able to provide for more than 800 people throughout Muncie on Thursday. Meals were delivered to more than 200 families and approximately 130 individuals were served at Muncie Central High School.
Feed My Sheep was founded in 1996, by George and Teresa Huggins, in an attempt to reach out to the less fortunate within the Muncie community, as well as uniting those within different social and economic standing.
Despite the hard work, volunteers were more than willing to help out in their local communities, some simply attempting to try something new during the holiday season.
"We wanted to do something different this year, kind of give back to the community and get involved in something," volunteer Shari Updike said. "We heard stories about people who couldn't come to the door because they were paralyzed and families who had no furniture in their homes when we dropped the food off. It kind of made you feel like you were making some kind of a difference. It was definitely a good program to be a part of."
Ball State students, such as senior organizational communication major Erinn Bunger, were present throughout preparation of the event, some even taking on leadership roles.
"It was really cool to see people who were really grateful, because I felt that, being on campus all the time, a lot of people feel entitled to things," Bunger said. "It was nice to see these people happy that I did something for them. It really liked that I was actually helping people and that they really enjoyed what I was doing for them."
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