The St. Vincent de Paul pantry at Little Flower Church in Hollywood feeds over 500 people in need every month. Three years ago I started helping deliver food packages to these families as part of my learning service requirement at C-M. What started as a “requirement” for school has evolved into giving as part of my daily life. 

I realized that while the food provided through the Church is critical to keeping families from going hungry, there wasn’t much in the boxes that was geared specifically for kids. I thought about the kind of things I like to eat as an after school snack, and that’s where the idea for Mack and Jack’s Snacks got started.

This past fall, I recruited fellow junior and friend, Jack Lohse, to help me start putting together snack bags of non-perishable items that could be added into the food boxes to be delivered to families. Every box that goes to a family with children contains “Mack and Jack’s Snacks” treat bags for each child in the family.

“We started in September putting together Halloween themed bags for October,” says Jack. “We try to have a mixture of items that kids will like, things like chips, a juice box or chocolate milk, fruit roll-ups and cookies.”  

We have received donations from friends and family members and have the support of other C-M students who have helped put the bags together. In just the first few months since launching the snack initiative, we’ve provided more than 350 snack bags and are looking for ways to expand.