With many students at UNR struggling with rising tuition and cost of living, food insecurity and an inability to eat healthy is unfortunately rampant.
Every Wednesday, Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic Church offers a free lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for all students at the University of Nevada, Reno, at the Newman Center, as part of efforts to help.
This particular event is organized primarily by the Knights of Columbus, a global Catholic fraternal service organization.
One of the event's dedicated volunteers, Rick Goebel, spends each Wednesday greeting students along Virginia Street, inviting them to stop by for a meal.
“Different groups make the lunch each week, but the Knights help with most of it," says Goebel. “Today, the volunteers are from Immaculate Conception Church, and each week, other groups within the diocese contribute food to help.”
A Reno native, Goebel attended Bishop Manogue High School and later graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno. As an alum who attended Our Lady of Wisdom Church during his college years, he felt a personal connection when he was asked to volunteer.
Seeing students gather each week brings Goebel a sense of purpose. “It’s motivational for me to see more and more people come, to witness the organic growth and the good things that are happening here. It’s rewarding to see it grow every week,” he says.
Leo Carew III, the state treasurer for the Knights of Columbus for Nevada, has been with the organization for eight years. Carew emphasizes the organization’s commitment to fostering a spirit of service among young people. “We are trying to give back to the students to let them know it is okay to serve, to say yes in volunteer work,” he says. By encouraging students to participate in these community lunches, Carew hopes to inspire them to embrace volunteerism and the positive impact it can have on others.
Apart from the free lunches each Wednesday, the Newman Center also offers free coffee Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., as well as a waffle bar each Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Reporting and photos by Matthew Means shared with Our Town Reno