Monday, 4/14/97
Canning hunger
Students fight poverty and homelessness by volunteering to help
raise money for
shelters at the 13th Annual Hunger
Clean Up Day
By Kathryn Combs
Daily Bruin Contributor
One person dies from hunger-related causes every 40 seconds
across the world.
In the United States, one of the richest nations in the world, 3
million people sleep in their cars, under bridges and on the
streets.
Hunger is a way of life for 27 million Americans, and 39 percent
of homeless people are families with children.
While most students, largely unaware of these facts, were
slumbering away their Saturday morning, approximately 50 UCLA
students reached out to the greater Los Angeles community during
the 13th Annual Hunger Clean Up Day.
The 13th Annual Hunger Clean Up Day was a national volunteer
effort, sponsored by the California Student Public Interest
Research Group (CALPIRG). The main goal of the program is to raise
money by seeking sponsorship from the community and working with
various programs for the hungry and homeless. Students involved
visited five different shelters and hunger and homelessness
programs. According to local event organizers, money collected will
be donated to local, national, and international hunger and
homelessness programs such as the ones UCLA students visited on
Saturday.
"It’s a work-a-thon that we do every year against hunger and
homelessness," said Christy Leavitt, UCLA campus organizer for
CALPIRG.
Students participating in the Hunger Clean Up Day aimed to raise
$1,000, half of which will be donated to the Union Station Shelter
in South Pasadena.
"I think that little things like this really do make a
difference, and we’re making a statement," said Sharon De Young, a
first-year English student and local co-coordinator of the
event.
One of the shelters visited by the students was Angel’s Flight,
a shelter that provides homeless and runaway services to youth and
teens. A group of five UCLA students visited the shelter to talk to
the kids about going to college.
Those involved in Saturday’s event said they were pleased with
both the concern that students had shown and the outreach that they
provided.
"I think it’s really great for them to come in and visit because
it gives the kids a chance to be inspired to go to college," said
Erin Isermann, a group worker with Angel’s Flight.
"A lot of these kids don’t think that they have a future (and)
it gives them a little bit of inspiration," added Isermann, who is
also a first-year pre-med student at USC.
Most of the Hunger Clean Up Day participants worked at the L.A.
Food Bank in Vernon, where they cleaned and boxed various
perishable goods.
The Los Angeles Food Bank is a redistribution center where local
markets send food items that they are unable to sell.
Food Bank volunteers then clean the goods and distribute them to
various shelters and soup kitchens in the Los Angeles area.
Since late fall, UCLA student leaders have been coordinating
this event with local hunger and homelessness programs
"It’s good to finally be here, considering how (many months) it
took us to get here," said Stacey Holt, a first-year history major
and local co-coordinator for Hunger Clean Up Day.
Many of the students who were involved in the day’s event
stressed the importance of volunteering and the role that it plays
in their lives as students.
"I grew up in a fairly affluent suburban setting, so I feel as
though I have to do my part to help those who are less fortunate,"
said Alex Geyer, a first-year civil engineering student. Geyer
volunteered for three hours at the Los Angeles Food Bank, where he
taped labels to boxes that were to be shipped out.
"When you’re in school it’s easy to be in your own little
world," agreed Jeanne Boland, a second-year French student, who
cleaned cans for redistribution.
"I think it’s good to reach out and help people instead of being
so directed toward yourself," she said. "(It teaches us) to give to
other people, and that is the meaning of life – helping other
people."Shawn Laksmi/Daily Bruin
Kelila Shapiro, a second-year undeclared student (center), packs
the goods in various boxes to be sent to homeless shelters.
Shawn Laksmi/Daily Bruin
Volunteers line up, checking cans for dents and expiration
dates.
Shawn Laksmi/Daily Bruin
A box of canned food for the hungry and the homeless.