The last line of the FFA motto is “Living to Serve” which signifies the vital role service plays in the FFA organization. Members impact their local communities across Nebraska through service engagement, community service, and service-learning. Students leverage their creative thinking and problem solving skills to create local solutions to meet the community needs.
As part of the 95th Nebraska FFA State Convention, 850+ FFA members put their leadership skills into action to make a positive impact on the Lincoln community and beyond. In partnership with Union Bank & Trust and Mercy Meals, FFA members provided indirect service engagement through packaging thousands of meals to be delivered to children in need throughout the world. During last year’s Living to Serve portion of the convention, over 80,000 meals were packaged.
Corporate sponsors from Union Bank & Trust described the packaging process, starting with an update on facts for world hunger, then packaging the highly nutritious, well balanced meal consisting of rice - a food staple, a blend of six dried vegetables to add color and flavor, soy flakes provide protein, and chicken flavoring add twenty vitamins and minerals. The meal only needs boiling water to prepare and each package contains six meals at a cost of 12 cents per meal.
These meals are distributed to children in need throughout the world, including orphanages, refugee camps, feeding centers, disaster relief centers and local food pantries in India, Mexico, South Africa, Ukraine, and Vietnam. One FFA member said, “You leave with a smile on your face and feeling proud that you made a positive difference.”
