Photo by Julianna Leopold

ATLANTA—Volunteers at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta gathered on July 22 to pack thousands of lunches for children in need through the MUST Ministries Summer Lunch Program.  

The program spanned four dates this summer, June 3, June 17, July 8 and July 22, with the helpers packaging 10,000 meals for children across metro Atlanta.  

“I enjoy seeing our words in action,” said Father Jared Kleinwaechter, parochial vicar at the cathedral. “I’m glad so many of our children and families are involved in this.” 

At the Tuesday events, volunteers packed “kid kits,” which are Ziploc bags that contain breakfast, lunch, snacks and water for five days. Included in these bags are granola bars, applesauce, macaroni and cheese, nuts and other nutritious items. 

All the contents within the kit are designed to provide a full day’s worth of meals for a child. The kits are placed into a larger bag, and once all are packed, they are sent to designated distribution centers.  

Ella Williams, left, and Anna Dinwiddie, incoming freshmen at St. Pius X High School, spend their summer volunteering for the MUST Ministries Summer Lunch Program at their alma mater, Christ the King. Photo by Julianna Leopold

The meals assembled on the final Tuesday were donated to Cumberland Community Church in Smyrna, which distributes the meals to children in the surrounding area.  

Joanne Love, a longtime parishioner of the Cathedral of Christ the King, has volunteered in the program for years. Packing meals for children takes devotion as it’s a necessary service for those who are struggling, she said. 

“There is a child in this country right now that doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from,” Love said. “And that breaks my heart.”  

Love has watched the number of meals and volunteers steadily rise, sharing that she is inspired by those who continue to show up with the mission to fight hunger.  

“It’s been an inspiration to see parents bring their children to these events,” Love said. “They’re teaching them about a very important issue that so many kids face.”  

For Jen Wandor, mother of four and parishioner of the Cathedral of Christ the King, the MUST Ministries Summer Lunch Program days are always marked on their calendar. Volunteering with her children is a learning experience that “helps them see beyond their little worlds,” she said.  

“In our family, we work on gratitude,” Wandor said. “I appreciate these opportunities to get the kids involved and help them learn about what other kids their ages are going through.”  

MUST Ministries is an organization that serves metro Atlanta families facing poverty. To learn more about the organization or to volunteer, visit mustministries.org.