Students Bring National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week to UK
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 8, 2012) – The Center for Community Outreach, Helping Hands, STAG, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity are bringing National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week to the University of Kentucky Nov. 18-22, 2013. All events, including a play and dinner banquet, are free and open to the public.
The week of activities is meant to draw awareness to the number of Kentuckians who suffer from hunger or homelessness. The Hope Center reports that there are almost 1,000 homeless persons in Lexington alone. Many suffer from addiction or mental illness and seek treatment and shelter at various centers in Lexington. National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week educates particpants on how to help, through volunteer efforts, dontations and advocacy.
National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week provides students with an opportunity to connect with the Lexington community and meet other students outside their areas of study.
“Being at a large university and being involved allows students the opportunity to make our campus seem like a smaller institution. I am able to meet individuals who I would not usually interact with in my normal academic studies. Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week gives me the opportunity to help others and fulfill my duties as a citizen of our community,” said Derrick Lewis, chemistry senior.
Volunteer opportunities have been arranged with local programs for those who wish to help on-site one day. Another event allows particpants help from campus by making blankets in the student center, which will be donated to Lexingtonians in need.
A detailed list of the events is provided below. Some events do require regsitration. For more information, contact Kamla Jones, Helping Hands advisor, and AmeriCorp VISTA advisor at the CCO, at Kamla.Jones@uky.edu or (859) 257-3600. You can also stop by the Center for Community Outreach office at 106 Student Center.
The mission of the Center for Community Outreach is to serve, connect, and unite the University of Kentucky with the surrounding community in collaborative efforts to promote life-long community service
November 18: Screening of the play “Don’t Call Me Homeless, I Don’t Call You Homed” 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Center Theatre in the Student Center
The play is based is on the actual experiences of its actors, depicting the lives of Lexington’s homeless and raising awareness of their plight. After the screening the Director of the Catholic Action Center, Ginny Ramsey will speak about her experiences with the actors from the play and how the vision of the Catholic Action Center came to life. This event is free and open to the public.
November 19: Wrap Up Homelessness with Wrap Up America, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in room 206 of the Student Center
Students will make blankets to be donated to the less fortunate in the Lexington community. Wrap Up America Strives to raise awareness about poverty and donate blankets to the homeless. At the University of Kentucky, it also seeks to gain connections within the community, integrating non-profit organizations with the college to meet the needs of that organization and providing opportunity for college students to directly impact the community. This event is free and open to the public.
November 20: Oxfam Social Issues Banquet 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Student Center Small Ballroom
The Oxfam Social Issues Banquet is an interactive banquet geared toward the education about the issues of hunger and injustice in Kentucky. Helping Hands and STAG are partnering with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Participants will be taught about hunger and injustice on a both a global scale and also a local scale. A panel of community partners from Catholic Action Center, Seedleaf and UK professors will speak briefly about these issues and why they are important to our community. This event is free and open to the public but participants must pick up a ticket from the Office of Student Involvement in room 106 of the Student Center.
November 21: Hunger and Homelessness Volunteer Day
Students will have the opportunity to volunteer at local organizations that specialize in providing service to people who are suffering from Hunger and homelessness. There are 35 spaces available at God’s Pantry Food Bank from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and 24 spaces at Community Inn (12 for men and 12 for women) from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
This is event is free and open to the public. Those interested should sign-up at uky.volunteermatch.org. Transportation to and from volunteer sites is available at the student center parking lot.
November 22 and 23: Sleep Out for Homelessness 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Student Center Front Lawn, on the corner of Avenue of Champions and S. Limestone. There is no cost of this event but participants are encouraged to donate $5 or toiletry items. Free t-shirts will be provided to the first 50 people who pre-register.
Center for Community Outreach programs, Helping Hands and Education and Advocacy will be partnering with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity to raise awareness about hunger and homelessness with a homelessness simulation. Please register for this event http://tinyurl.com/q52t9ja
Proceeds collected at this event will go to a local organization dedicated to improving the lives of people experiencing poverty.