St. John’s Students Partner with Protiviti in Thanksgiving Food Distribution Effort

Inspired by the approaching Thanksgiving holiday and motivated by St. John’s University’s Vincentian mission, more than 100 students joined with business consultancy firm Protiviti employees in packing more than 20,000 meals for distribution to needy families overseas.

The “I On Hunger” food packing event, held at the University on November 25, was part of Manhattan-based Protiviti’s commitment to battling global food insecurity. Among the volunteers was company President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph A. Tarantino ’80CBA, a member of the University’s Board of Trustees.           

Students and Protiviti employees worked with North Carolina-based nonprofit Rise Against Hunger, which will forward the packaged meals to the United Nations. With a goal of 20,000 meals to box in 2 ½ hours, the volunteers completed 20,088 with a half hour to spare.

“It’s Thanksgiving week, and most of us will have at least one big meal,” Mr. Tarantino said. “But this event reminds us that over 700 million people worldwide are hungry, including 14 million children in the United States. We are so happy to have this event at St. John’s and to shine a light on food insecurity around the world.”

Protiviti has partnered with Rise Against Hunger for more than a decade, packing more than 16 million meals for needy people around the world. St. John’s students were eager to participate, with 106 donning gloves and head covers in Marillac Hall Terrace.

Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., President, welcomed the volunteers, pointing out the shared values uniting St. John’s and Protiviti.

“We see food insecurity even among members of our community here,” Fr. Shanley said. “The work you all do today will directly impact people’s lives. It is a perfect fit between the mission of Protiviti and the mission of St. John’s.”

In assembly-line fashion, spirited groups of volunteers filled plastic bags with food, sealed them securely, and placed them into boxes that were later loaded onto a Rise Against Hunger truck. As they bagged rice, dried vegetables, vitamins, and soy, students said raising awareness of food insecurity was a proper Vincentian thing to do at Thanksgiving.

“Taking time to do this and to help bless other people’s lives is so important,” said Amena Novruz, a first-year Biomedical Sciences student from Queens, NY. “Food is plentiful in my life, but we know people are suffering from food scarcity.”

“I wanted to give something back to the community at this time of year,” added Rujina Begun, a first-year Accounting student from Brooklyn, NY.  “I’m very grateful for what I have.”

Music blared as the volunteers filled the boxes. Rise Against Hunger Partnerships and Events Manager Steve Carballo periodically updated the volunteers on their progress. Volunteers had filled all available boxes by 3:30 p.m., a half-hour before the event’s scheduled conclusion.

The acknowledgement was met with applause from inside Marillac Terrace. As the volunteers sealed their final boxes, student Rashaun Gardner reflected on his good fortune ahead of the holiday season.

“Instead of a once-a-year thing, we want to make awareness of food insecurity a daily thing,” said Rashaun, part of the dual-degree program in Childhood Education. “You want to bring a smile to people’s faces because you never know what they are going through.”