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Thanks to the efforts of a group of Western Illinois University students and Macomb High School students, 10,440 meals are being delivered to the hungry. WIU student members of SANE (the Student Association for Nutrition Education), pictured here, presented a donation of $1,320 to the Midwest Food Bank (Morton) for "Tender Mercies." Each "Tender Mercies" bag meal will feed four individuals. Photo courtesy of Jason Eveland.
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WIU senior dietetics major Kelly Shoppa (Macomb, IL), back, far left, led most of SANE's fundraising efforts for the Midwest Food Bank donation. Her fellow SANE members Emily Haistings (Quincy, IL), back, right, Jaime Langolis (Plainfield, IL), front left, and Kelsey Knox (Maquon, IL) front right, attended the donation presentation last week at the Midwest Food Bank in Morton, IL. Photo courtesy of Jason Eveland.
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WIU and Macomb High School Students' Efforts Provide "Tender Mercies" to the Hungry

April 23, 2015

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MACOMB/MORTON, IL — Thanks to the fundraising and volunteer efforts of a group of Western Illinois University students and Macomb High School students, 10,440 meals are being delivered to the hungry.

According to Emily Shupe, assistant professor of dietetics in the WIU Department of Dietetics, Fashion Merchandising and Hospitality (DFMH), last Friday, student members of SANE (the Student Association for Nutrition Education) at Western presented a donation of $1,320 to the Midwest Food Bank (Morton) for "Tender Mercies."

"Each Tender Mercies bag meal will feed four individuals," Shupe explained. "One meal is composed of rice, textured vegetable protein, pinto beans and chicken flavoring. They are assembled and bagged at the Midwest Food Bank and are then distributed all over the world to help feed the hungry, to help with natural disasters and even locally to food pantries. For $660 dollars, you can purchase one pallet of the Tender Mercies and that will provide 5,220 meals."

Shupe, who serves as one of the advisors for SANE, said SANE members and the Macomb High School students in her Western Area Career System (WACS) food classes (which are comprised of MHS students bussed to Western to take part in afternoon food and nutrition courses) organized a variety of events to raise money for the donation.

"SANE members have held multiple fundraisers, including a spaghetti supper and a bake sale, and my WACS students have also participated in a variety of fundraising events (such as making and selling homemade cinnamon and pumpkin rolls over the holidays and at catering events within the community) to raise money for this donation. Eric Gurzell [assistant professor of dietetics], who is my co-advisor for SANE, also helped participate in the fundraising efforts and with getting the students excited about the project," Shupe noted. "One of my goals this year for both SANE and WACS was to help teach my students about empathy and to experience the reward of helping others."

One of Shupe's WIU students, Kelly Shoppa (Macomb, IL), a senior dietetics major and the SANE treasurer, led most of the student organization's fundraising efforts for the Midwest Food Bank donation.

"Kelly has also worked with Soup and More, a once-a-month soup kitchen and food pantry operated out of the First Presbyterian Church in Macomb, to help educate the people about ways to incorporate Tender Mercies into other meals, such as chili," Shupe explained. "We often get into a routine of teaching and learning facts in the dietetics field, but developing empathy is what is going to set our students apart and not only help them become accomplished professionals, but also positive role models and contributors to society."

Shoppa said when she first learned about Tender Mercies from Shupe, she was excited to see the bag meals available at Soup and More when she volunteered there through SANE.

"But when I was speaking with one of the regular volunteers, she informed me that not many people took the Tender Mercies. She said a lot of it came down to familiarity, and if given the choice between Hamburger Helper (also available at the food pantry) and a bag meal, people often chose the Hamburger Helper. This was disappointing to hear, as the Tender Mercies' meals provide an excellent food choice," Shoppa said. "So I decided to find other options for the goods available in the bag meals. I experimented and came up with several recipes, including a chili dish, casseroles and taco filling. I then prepared a soup recipe that I had come up with and served it at the soup kitchen."

Shupe added Shoppa's enthusiasm for the Tender Mercies bag meals are indicative of the energy and excitement about the Midwest Food Bank donation she has observed in her other WIU and WACS students.

"These students have worked really hard to help feed the hungry," Shupe said. "We are very proud to be able to donate to the Midwest Food Bank, which we stop at annually during our class field trip. As faculty and students, we have always been highly impressed with their efforts to help others, and we wanted to be able to do our part to help them."

For more information, contact Shupe at (309) 298-1244 or via email at ER-Shupe@wiu.edu.

Posted By: Teresa Koltzenburg (WIUNews@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing