Posted on Nov 10, 2007

CSUMB students organize activities for campus, community

Students at California State University, Monterey Bay have organized a week of events to commemorate National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Nov. 13-19. The week's activities will give students and community members an opportunity to get involved as well as raise awareness around issues of hunger and homelessness.

From 7 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 14, a panel will be held in the University Center Living Room called "Faces of Homelessness." Members of the Soledad Street community and service providers will talk about issues relating to hunger and poverty in our area. An exhibit of photography depicting the people of Soledad Street will be on display.

A "shantytown" will be set up in the university's Main Quad on Nov. 15 to illustrate living conditions and statistics relevant to homelessness, poverty and inadequate housing in Monterey County. That night, students will perform vignettes based on interviews with local homeless people. The vignettes will be followed by a student-led discussion on hunger, homelessness and poverty and strategies for addressing those issues.

Students have also organized a meal points collection drive. Meal-point dollars donated by CSUMB students will provide Thanksgiving dinners for 80 families in collaboration with the Alisal Healthy Start Family Resource Center and Sodexho, the university's food service provider. The Thanksgiving Meal Point Drive is in its seventh year and offers CSUMB students the opportunity to make a significant impact, contributing both time and money to prepare and assemble the food boxes. On Nov. 19, students, faculty and staff will sort the food, and pack and deliver the boxes.

For more information or to request disability accommodations, contact Jennafer Leveille at jennafer_leveille@csumb.edu or Deborah Burke at deborah_burke@csumb.edu or 582-3631

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