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by LAURA TABOR
Lifestyles Reporter
Seeing the faces of children in Peru who will never go to bed with full stomachs tends to change thoughts toward global poverty.
When Mandy M. Simmons, a sophomore global studies major and vice-president of student organization People Fighting Poverty, experienced this first-hand, she felt the need to inform others about the presence of hunger and homelessness.
 Colin West, junior criminal justice major, crawls out of his cardboard sleeping quarters for the Hunger and Homelessness Week Sleep Out in November 2007. File Photo |
“These people can
not feed their families – they are in truly desperate conditions,”
Simmons said. “These things could be changed if they were brought out
of poverty.”
People
Fighting Poverty hosts Hunger and Homelessness Week as an annual event
to bring awareness to the Appalachian State University community.
Yesterday
the club presented “Walk for Something,” an event held to allow
individuals and groups on campus to express their views on issues that
matter to them.
T“East Street,” a documentary, shows this evening at 7 p.m.
“This is
a different documentary than last year,” Simmons said. “This focuses on
the lives of homeless people in St. Petersburg, Fla.”
A professor will speak on the local impact of poverty after the showing.
“The
week is focused on global poverty and awareness, but we are definitely
aware that there is poverty here in Watauga County, as well as our
nation,” Simmons said.
The worldwide price of food has increased by 83 percent over the past 36 months, according to the World Bank.
These
elevations contribute to keeping more people from the basic needs of
food and shelter, making the week of awareness vital, Simmons said.
Other
events include the Sleep Out Wednesday night where students construct
cardboard-box shanties on Sanford Mall and experience homelessness for
one night and a Hunger Banquet, hosted by the Student Government
Association to benefit the Hunger Coalition.
SGA’s
Director of Civic Engagement Zach L. Grier, a sophomore political
science major, organized the event and sees a rising need for poverty
awareness in the High Country.
“The
Hunger Coalition has seen a rise in clientele in the wake of the
economic crisis, especially large families,” Grier said. “We hope that
the banquet will give students a burden to serve their community.”
The event’s coordinators and supporters seek to get people thinking and involved.
“Hopefully,
people will react by remembering that there are people in poverty
around the planet,” Simmons said. “I can’t just shove it under the rug
and go on with my life.”
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