University Holds Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week

Food stamp challenge, hunger banquet among activities to raise awareness and aid the community.

November 11, 2013

Hunger and Homelessness Week

The George Washington University will host a series of events to raise awareness about hunger and homelessness and aid the community.

A food drive, performances by students and local homeless people, and a challenge to eat for a week on the cost of food stamps are all part of this year’s Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, which begins Monday.

“The purpose of the week is to focus GW’s attention on hunger and homelessness locally, nationally and globally just prior to Thanksgiving, when we typically think about all that we at GW have to be thankful for, while others struggle with homelessness, hunger and poverty here in D.C., around the U.S. and across the globe,” said Peter Konwerski, vice provost and dean of student affairs.

The week will begin with a Food Stamp Challenge Kickoff Monday evening in the Marvin Center Amphitheater. GW community members who participate will challenge themselves to eat on $4.50 per day, or a total of $22.50, from Monday to Friday.

Activities also include a student performance; a hunger banquet featuring speakers from the National Coalition for the Homeless and the D.C. Mayor’s Office; and a campus-wide food drive with proceeds benefiting the Capital Area Food Bank.

New this year is a performance by the Street Sense Theatre Company. Supported by GW Professors Leslie Jacobson and Elizabeth Kitos-Kang, the performance will feature monologues, poetry and songs created by local homeless Street Sense members and a discussion moderated by Professor Greg Squires following the performance. The event will be held Wednesday evening in the Marvin Center Amphitheater.

All events are free but a donation of one nonperishable item per attendee is suggested.

The week’s activities were primarily planned by undergraduate students in the human services course, “Organizing for Social Change.”

“Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week is a multifaceted approach to raising awareness and support for arguably the most prominent crisis in the District of Columbia,” said student Tyler Daniels, a TA for the course. “The class has worked hard to set up various entertaining and informative events throughout the week.”

Student Daniela DiGuido, also a TA for the class, stressed the importance of making the university community aware of the experience of too many fellow D.C. residents. “More than two out of every five D.C. households have reported not having enough money to buy food at some point. If, for even only one week, we are able to understand and better empathize with the socioeconomic dichotomy of our shared community, our city will continue to grow and become even better.”

The week’s sponsors are the Human Services Program, the Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service, the Division of Student Affairs, Alpha Phi Omega, College Democrats and the Student Association.