Hunger & Homelessness Week – November 12th-16th
National Hunger and Homelessness Week is a week devoted to raising awareness of the issues of hunger and homelessness. In partnership with Student United Way and No Kid Hungry, Community Service Programs will be hosting a week of awareness panels, donation drives, and service projects in hopes to impact hunger and homelessness on campus and in Columbia. Here's what you can do to learn more about the issues and impact them!
GIVE BACK:
–Help Columbia families by participating in Carolina Cares, USC's month of giving. Help provide Thanksgiving dinner to a family in need through Adopt a Family, send a soldier holiday greetings through Holiday Mail for Heroes, or pick up a stocking to fill and make a child's holiday happier. For details on how to participate, visit the Carolina Cares page. All donations must be received by November 20th.
–Donate your gently used coats to Columbia Family Shelter as part of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., EMPOWER and Carolina Judicial Council’s annual coat drive. Coats and jackets can be dropped off at OMSA (Russell House West Wing) or the Campus Life Center (2nd floor Russell House across from Einstein Bagels). Donations will be accepted until November 15th.
LISTEN:
–Come join No Kid Hungry for a discussion on the issue of hunger and food insecurity on Tuesday November 13 at 7:00 pm in Gambrell 153! Hear a food bank director speak about the presence and problems of hunger in our local community. Watch a local teacher's presentation on childhood hunger inside the classroom and its effects on childhood education; and learn how you can take action to help. We hope to see you there!
COMPETE:
–Help No Kid Hungry and Student United Way fight hunger and homelessness by participating in Eat & Smash, a pie eating contest, on Wednesday, November 14 on Greene Street. Stop by any time from 11-2, and your donation will count as a "vote" to see a faculty member pied in the face prior to Wednesday night's presentation on homelessness (see below)! The person who eats their slice the fastest wins a prize!
LEARN:
–Join Student United Way and Community Service Programs on Wednesday, November 14 at 7:00 pm in the Capstone Carolina room (on the 17th floor) for a touching presentation on homelessness in our own city of Columbia. Hear and see various perspectives of this issue as told by students, professionals, and people who are currently facing homelessness firsthand. There will be a presentation of photos, interviews, personal stories, and more. If you want to learn more about an issue that takes place in your own backyard and what you can do to help, we look forward to seeing you there!
SERVE:
–In this Thanksgiving time, Harvest Hope Food Bank needs volunteers to support the hungry in the Midlands by helping at the Harvest Hope Food Bank in Cayce. Up to 10 students are needed for 1-3 pm on Tuesday, 13 November and for 1-3 pm, on Wednesday, 14 November. Contact Cheryl Soehl 777-6688 ( CSOEHL@mailbox.sc.edu) in Student Affairs to sign up and for more info. This project is sponsored by the Campus Ministry Association at USC.
–Join Community Service Intern, Alexis Coleman, for an afternoon of service at St. Andrew's Kids Cafe on Thursday, November 15, from 4:00pm-6:00pm. Kids Cafe serves nutritious meals to children at-risk of hunger, provides programs within easily accessible safe sites and supplements the meal service with enrichment activities. Our group will be tutoring and helping elementary school students read. To sign up, click here.
VOTE:
– Vote for Transitions in the CITGO Fueling Good contest! Transitions is a local shelter that provides transitional housing and services to people in order to move them from homelessness to permanent housing. Citgo gift cards will support the health and well-being of over 2000 individuals who annually engage in services at Transitions. Gift cards will fuel their passenger van; transporting clients to local provider services, job fairs, and personal appointments. You can vote once a day until November 28th!
To vote, visit http://www.fuelinggood.com/rewardinggood?id=1320078