Calling attention to hunger and homelessness in Iowa and around the world, Central College is hosting numerous events Nov. 16-22 to promote Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.
The events will kick off with a food drive at the final home football game of the season Nov. 16. The Dutch play Coe College at 1 p.m. at the Ron and Joyce Schipper stadium. Non-perishable foods can be donated at the stadium. For the remainder of the week, all non-perishable items can be taken to the Maytag Information Booth until Nov. 22.
Central will also sponsor a talk with a panel of experts on hunger and homelessness from the Pella and Des Moines areas including representatives from the Iowa Food Systems Council, Eat Greater Des Moines, Pella Food Shelf and Central Iowa Shelter and Services. They will discuss their jobs, debunk myths on hunger and homelessness and answer questions. The talk will be Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. in van Emmerick Theater.
“We want to bring awareness to the campus and community to the issues of local and world hunger,” said Michelle Stewart, Iowa Campus Compact AmericCorps VISTA. “We want to have an open discussion about how people fall into poverty and try to spread awareness and information about what people can do to help those living in poverty change their lives for the better.”
And to cap off the week, the Oxfam Hunger Banquet will be Nov. 21. The banquet is a community meal that inspires thought and discussion on the issues of hunger and clean water throughout the world. Three different meals will be served and will represent the world’s access to food in relation to low, middle, and high incomes. The meals represent the world’s access to food, and the percentages are based on the actual global distribution of food.
In addition to the meal, two keynote speakers will be presenting: Keegan Kautzky, the director of National Education Programs at the World Food Prize and Jim Zaffiro, professor of political science. The poster session will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Graham Conference Center with the meal to follow at 6 p.m. Cost is $5 for non-Central students and free with a Central ID. Sign up for the event by Nov. 21 at midnight by emailing ivolunteer@central.edu.
A full schedule of events is listed below.
Schedule
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week will take place the week of Nov. 16-22. All events are open to the public.
- Saturday, Nov. 16: Non-perishable food collection at the last home football game vs. Coe at 1 p.m. at the Ron and Joyce Schipper stadium.
- Monday, Nov. 18: “A Place at the Table” movie screening, a new documentary about hunger in America. van Emmerick Theater, 7 p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 19: The Hunger Games. Maytag Student Center 11-1. Interactive activities related to hunger and homelessness.
- Tuesday, Nov. 19: Panel of experts on hunger and homelessness from the Pella and Des Moines areas. They will discuss their jobs, debunk myths on hunger and homelessness and answer questions. van Emmerick Theater, 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 20: The Hunger Games. Maytag Student Center 11-1. Interactive activities related to hunger and homelessness.
- Thursday, Nov. 21: The Oxfam Hunger Banquet. The goal of the evening is to raise awareness about global hunger and what you can do to help solve this issue. Graham Conference Center, 5:30 p.m. Cost of entry is $5 for non-Central students. Sign up by emailing ivolunteer@central.edu by Nov. 21.
- Friday, Nov. 22: End of food drive. Items will be delivered to local food banks for Thanksgiving. Any non-perishable items can be dropped off at the Maytag Information Booth during the week.
