Campus Life

Penn State Behrend to hold events during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

To recognize National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Penn State Behrend students will participate in Cardboard City, beginning Monday, Nov. 16. This is an annual event on campus where student groups raise awareness about the issue of homelessness and poverty by creating and living in homemade shelters over a 24-hour period. Credit: Penn State Behrend / Penn State. Creative Commons

ERIE, Pa. — To coincide with National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Penn State Behrend will hold a series of events during the week of Nov. 16-20.

National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is coordinated by the National Coalition for the Homeless and held every year during the week before Thanksgiving. It is meant to be a time when communities come together to share compassion for those who are experiencing homelessness, while also working toward a world where hunger and homelessness do not exist.

Penn State Behrend’s events are highlighted by Cardboard City, an annual event on campus where student groups raise awareness about the issue of homelessness and poverty by creating and living in homemade shelters over a 24-hour period. Cardboard City begins this year at 10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, and ends the following Tuesday morning. For the first time in the event’s history, all of the cardboard “homes” will be set up outside Reed Union Building, and more than 18 teams and 20 student groups will participate.

“We want students to get in the frame of mind where they realize that people actually live like this. In the past, we’ve always held this event in October, but to coincide with National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, we’ve moved it to November,” said Chris Fox, assistant director of Civic Engagement and the Smith Chapel at Penn State Behrend. “It could be really cold that night, but we want them to have a different perspective and a deeper understanding.”

The following events will also be held throughout the week:

  • Now until Nov. 18: “Thanksgiving Dinner Food Drive.” Faculty members, staff, students, departments, clubs and organizations will be collecting Thanksgiving food items to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania. Bags with the list of items being collected are available in the Office of Student Activities.
  • Monday, Nov. 16: “Community Organization Showcase.” Community organizations that list fighting hunger and/or homelessness as core to their mission will be discussing their organization and volunteer opportunities with students. Participating organizations include Second Harvest Food Bank of NWPA, Erie DAWN and Erie United Methodist Alliance. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Bruno’s Cafe
  • Monday, Nov. 16: “Midnight Movie: 'The Pursuit of Happyness.'” For one night, the Reed Union Building will be transformed into a homeless shelter for students participating in Cardboard City. Students can seek asylum from their cardboard home and enjoy refreshments and watch the film “The Pursuit of Happyness,” which stars Will Smith and tells the true story of homeless, single father Chris Gardner. Midnight, McGarvey Commons. (The film will be shown again at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19.)
  • Tuesday, Nov. 17: “Poverty Simulation.” The Poverty Simulation is a unique and powerful tool designed to deepen our understanding of poverty. Participants role-play as a member of a low-income household to discover the challenge of meeting basic needs when income is limited. 5 to 7 p.m., McGarvey Commons
  • Wednesday, Nov. 18: “Dinner for Six.” This event, now in its 28th year, brings together students, faculty members and staff in an environment where interaction and conversation is encouraged and welcomed. It recognizes a time from Behrend’s early history when students would end up “stranded” for the holiday, so faculty members and staff at the college would invite them into their homes for Thanksgiving. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., McGarvey Commons
Last Updated November 24, 2015

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