Concordia University, Nebraska

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Concordia hosts successful Paws with a Purpose event

Seward, NE (10/13/2025) — Monday, October 6, the Concordia University, Nebraska Director of Christian Education (DCE) practicum students organized a service event as part of the university's Homecoming festivities. The students partnered with the Lincoln, Nebraska, branch of Orphan Grain Train and their Mercy Meals ministry. Thrivent Financialprovided funding for all materials used in the meals.

Orphan Grain Train is a nonprofit Christian volunteer network that shares resources with people in need across the world. Volunteers gather donations of clothing, food, medical supplies, and Christian literature to meet a variety of needs.

Jim Carter, the branch manager for the Orphan Grain Train Warehouse in Lincoln, described the Mercy Meals ministry as a way to spread the gospel.

"Mercy Meals, that's such a blessing because it allows us to communicate the ministry of feeding the hungry, of bringing the gospel to them, because with an empty stomach it's kind of hard to listen to someone preach the gospel. Feeding the hungry is really what Mercy Meals is all about."

The DCE students had set a goal of 50,000 meals to be packed by the end of the event. With the help of around 300 students, 61,776 meals were packed during the five hour-long shifts throughout the day.

About Concordia University, Nebraska

Concordia University, Nebraska, founded in 1894, is a fully accredited, coeducational university of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod located in Seward, Nebraska, which currently serves more than 1,700 students. Concordia offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in an excellent academic and Christ-centered community that equips men and women for lives of learning, service and leadership in the church and world. For more information, visit cune.edu.

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