UCSD and local organizations participated in the 19th annual National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness Hunger Cleanup on April 5. The event, which is one of the largest one-day community service fundraisers in the country, was part of a national campaign designed to end hunger and homelessness through community service, fundraising and education.
Event organizers CalPIRG, along with Chi Omega Sorority, UCSD Greens, Habitat for Humanity, the Asian American Christian Fellowship and area high schools, volunteered their time and services to local agencies such as the Bayside Community Center, Crossroads Shelter, Julian’s Sanctuary, Julian’s Anchorage and the Salvation Army’s Door of Hope.
“”It’s important to give back to the community,”” said Erica Kermani, CalPIRG’s co-coordinator of the Hunger and Homelessness Campaign. “”Especially now that there are budget cuts both at the federal and local levels, these programs need our help more than ever.””
Over the last 19 years, the Hunger Cleanup has involved over 125,000 volunteers and raised over $1.5 million. Money raised will benefit local, national and international relief programs. Of the funds raised at Saturday’s event, 50 percent will benefit the Cortez Hill Family Center, a local San Diego hunger and homelessness relief agency.
Each volunteer organization was sent to different sites around the San Diego area to help in any way it could for the day. Assignments ranged from working at shelters, to cleaning up and beautifying after-school program sites, to landscaping and painting houses. In addition to donating services, each organization raised money toward this year’s goal of $2,000.
“”Being college students, we do have a lot of extra time on our hands,”” said Revelle College junior Dustin Wong of AACF. “”It’s good to use that time to do something productive and beneficial to the community.””
In addition to monetary aid, the NSCAHH also aims to promote awareness and advocacy for the increasing poverty level in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of individuals living below the poverty level in the United States increased by 1.3 million during the past year, raising the national total to 32.9 million people.
One of the main legislative priorities for the NSCAHH and one of the Hunger Cleanup’s major advocacy campaigns for 2003 is the reauthorization of the government’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. TANF provides $16.9 million per year in food, medical care, childcare, shelters and other services for low-income families. CalPIRG and the NSCAHH see this as a great opportunity for Congress to close the gap between need and resources available by the government.
“”Advocacy and education is a major part of Hunger Cleanup and the hunger campaign,”” Kermani said. “”We do community service, but we also feel we need to push for legislation that helps the poverty situation in this country. That’s what really makes a difference in the long run.””
To aid in this goal, each volunteer individually signed letters addressed to U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer of California, addressing the importance of TANF and its role in lowering the poverty level in the United States. These letters will be sent to Washington, D.C., with the hopes that it will help get TANF reauthorized.
“”Poverty and homelessness is a huge problem in this country, and we all need to be aware of it,”” said John Muir College sophomore Sofi Johnson of Chi Omega.
For more information on the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness and Hunger Cleanup, contact them at 1 (800) 644-8647 or visit http://www.studentsagainsthunger.org.