St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School senior John Thornton II hopes to feed 100 members of Columbus’s working poor on Sunday, January 15, 2023 from 2 until 4:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall of Fourth Street Baptist Church, located at 222 5th Street in Columbus, Ga. 

As part of his efforts to earn a Global Competency Seal on his high school diploma, Thornton must conduct a Capstone Project that addresses a global issue. He has chosen to host a “Popular Meal” to provide a hot meal and fresh produce to the working poor in our community. 

The Popular Meal stems from the slums of Brazil. The program provides a low-cost, healthy meal to those who can’t afford to provide nutritious meals for their family. “The working poor are an often overlooked segment of society,” Thornton says. “Making too much money to receive public assistance and not enough to provide for their families adequately leaves the working poor in a difficult situation.” As part of his Popular Meal project, Thornton has secured community sponsors to help him with his efforts. He will continue to accept donations of fresh produce, portions of the hot meal or money for those items until January 10.  

During his time in high school at St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School, Thornton has taken four years of Italian and passed the Italian Language and Culture Advanced Placement Exam. In addition to having a 4.43 GPA, Thornton serves as the high school Student Council President, is a multi-sport student-athlete, and member of the National Honor Society, Italian National Honor Society, and Viking Outreach Leadership Team.

Located in Columbus, Georgia, St. Anne-Pacelli is a college preparatory, age 1 through 12th grade, private school dedicated to giving children opportunities to learn in a safe, supportive environment where they can develop relationships with others and with God.