Hunger and homelessness drive continues

by Beth Conahan staff writer

Campus ministry is allowing students to experience, learn and offer a helping band in its monthlong Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Campaign.

The Widener Center Gathering Area hosted the Work of Human Hands Craft Sale on Tuesday, Nov. 2 and Wednesday, Nov. 3. Work of Human Hands, supported by Catholic Relief Services, buys crafts from cooperatives, rather than from sweatshop labor. This benefits the developing countries that the workers live in. Some of the crafts came from the Missionary Sisters' mission in the Philippines. The sale was a success and was received "enthusiastically," said Campus Minister Mary Laver. The department estimates that it made over $1,000.

Campus Ministry was also responsible for several speakers on Cabrini Day, including Jennifer Stafy from the Bethesda Project. This Philadelphia organization is dedicated to helping the homeless in the area. Stafy was greeted with a full house. Not a seat was empty and some who attended had to stand

On Monday, Nov. 8, students participated in a Hunger Banquet in the Mansion Dining Room. It was a dramatization which allowed students a pee.I.into the inequality of food distribution to different economic classes in the world. Whether a participant found himself in the lowest class, receiving only rice and water, in the middle class, receiving rice, beans, bread, broth and water, or in the highest class, feasting on salad, stir fry, bread and dessert, was completely random. People blindly chose an identity from a basket, which determined their placement.

Some were able to rise to one of the higher classes but most of those that changed positions found themselves falling to a lower class.

Coordinator Mike Porta, a junior, was encouraged by the students' reactions. He said that he was glad to see students that truly came to an understanding of what the night was about. Harsh realizations were made when the room was reminded that only 15 percent of the population consumed 70 percent of the food.

At the end of the night, two students volunteered to take the left over food to a homeless shelter. In the spirit of Hunger and Homelessness awareness, junior Azeen Keramati and sophomore Melissa Shannon carried these Tupperware containers of food to My Brother's

House, a homeless shelter for men in Philadelphia.

The date for Arrested for Hunger has been changed to Monday, Nov. 22. This activity, which was popular last year, will be returning in the same format.

People can have their friends, professors, staff members and administrators arrested. The hunger police will come to their offices or rooms and arrest them. They will be brought to the Widener Center Gathering Area, where they will appear before a hunger judge, who will hear their cases and decide on the bail. The hunger convicts will have half an hour to make calls to try to raise the bail money. "Bail money" will go towards Hunger and Homelessness Relief.

A Night in Solidarity with the Homeless will be held Thursday, Nov. 18. It begins at 10 p.m. with a prayer service in the chapel. At midnight, there will be an educational presentation in the Xavier Hall Great Room. Then students wiH have to find a place to sleep for the night somewhere on campus. Anyone is welcome to come to the prayer service or to the educational presentation, but those who want to sleep outdoors must first sign up. Students will be able to experience and see first hand what it is like to be homeless and not know where to spend the night.

Campus Ministry is also holding their ongoing Thanksgiving Food Drive. They have challenged Eastern College and have hopes of beating them to collect the most food cans.

The real winners will be Our Lady of Hope Parish and Old St. Joe's Parish, to whom the food will be donated. There are boxes placed for collection in all of the residence halls outside of the Resident Assistants' doors, throughout campus, and in the Campus Ministry office.

If anyone is interested in volunteering to deliver food to Philadelphia on Tuesday, Nov. 23, please contact Campus Ministry. They are also seeking people willing to volunteer some of their time over the Thanksgiving holiday.