Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Nov. 7-14
10/26/2009
Lebanon, Ill. — As November arrives and thoughts turn to Thanksgiving’s abundance, McKendree University students are reaching out to the hungry and the homeless with activities to generate donations and awareness.
McKendree senior Kaitlyne Motl is director of the annual Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week Nov. 7 to 14, in its 15th year on campus. It is sponsored by the McKendree Community Action Team, the student branch of the Center for Public Service.
During Saturday Service on Nov. 7, students will serve at local hunger and homelessness agencies. Projects are anticipated at Neighbors for Renewal, which purchases and repairs previously bankrupted homes so that low-income families may buy them at a lower cost; and the Lebanon Food Pantry, which serves nearly one-fifth of the Lebanon-Summerfield residents that require food aid. Kelsey Rittenhouse, a sophomore, coordinated the event.
On Nov. 8, an Interfaith prayer service will host members of the Metro-East Interfaith Core for a discussion of how their religions interpret and act on poverty. This event was coordinated by sophomore Michael Anderson, leader of the campus Interfaith Group.
In partnership with the Social Justice Living-Learning Community, student volunteers will gather on Nov. 9 at The Lair recreation center to make blankets for a local homelessness agency that serves families with children. Sophomore Emily Cimarolli is the event coordinator.
“Change for Change” is a drive to benefit domestic and international hunger relief efforts. On Nov. 9, students will visit faculty and staff offices to ask for donations of spare coins. Later they will “storm the dorms” and McKendree West student apartments seeking spare change and non-perishable foods. Monies will be given to Oxfam America, which supports international and domestic hunger and sustainability programs. Food items will be donated to the Lebanon Food Pantry for Thanksgiving baskets. This event was coordinated by Millie Menke, a first-year student.
On Nov. 10, the annual “Sleep Out in the Quad” will demonstrate the harsh realities of American homelessness. Students will construct cardboard box structures in which they will spend the night, accompanied by simulations, vigils, movies, speakers and other activities.
“They often find that homelessness is no laughing matter and gain insight that has changed lives forever,” said Motl. This event was coordinated by Jake Rohman, a senior; and Charlie Zimmerman and Rosza Brown, both juniors.
The annual Empty Bowls soup lunch and speaker presentation will be held on Nov. 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room 222 of Piper Academic Center. It is open to the public.
“This is not an event to miss, in part because of the ‘famous’ potato soup that will be served in ceramic bowls made by Dr. Lyn Huxford and Dr. Brenda Boudreau,” said Motl. Soup served in handmade bowls is $10 or $5 for a plastic bowl. Proceeds will benefit the Saint Patrick Center.
“In the past, this has been one of the most successful resource- and fund-raisers executed on the McKendree campus, bringing in over $1,000 in donations,” Motl noted. This year’s event was coordinated by juniors Keri McDaniel and Lizzie Werts; and sophomore Emily Cimarolli.
All are welcome to participate in the Oxfam America Hunger Banquet at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 12 in the Piper Academic Center lounge. Admission is free but donations are welcome.
“The more that participate, the better the outcome. Dinner will be served. One only has to keep in mind, ‘where do I sit at the table of the world?’” Motl explained. This event was coordinated by Denise Kennedy, a junior, and Hannah Johnson, a first-year.
Legislative Action Day on Nov 13 gives students, staff, and faculty an opportunity to act on knowledge gained throughout the week and take a non-partisan stand against poverty. Petitions will be present in the Piper Academic Center and more information on how to participate in hunger and homelessness on a political level. Jessica Tieman, a first-year, is the coordinator.
The week closes on Nov. 14 with another day of service at Neighbors for Renewal in Belleville, the Lebanon Food Pantry and a new site, the Social Justice Breakfast at the Cathedral in Belleville.
-McK-
McKendree University ranks among the top 10 percent of "Best Baccalaureate Colleges” in the nation and in the “Great Schools, Great Prices” category by U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges 2010." The Lebanon, Ill., campus is 25 miles from downtown St. Louis. McKendree also has campuses in Louisville and Radcliff, Ky., and offers programs at Scott Air Force Base and other sites throughout Illinois and Kentucky. www.mckendree.edu
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