Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week to take place at WKU

Melissa Hardesty

The first-ever Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week will take place at WKU from today until Saturday.

Karen Meyers, director of Helping Others Through Extended Love In the Name of Christ, brought the idea to the ALIVE Center earlier this year after both organizations became aware of the need for canned goods in the Bowling Green area, said Aurelia Spaulding, communications and marketing director at the ALIVE Center.

The two organizations are joined by the Institute for Citizenship and Social Responsibility, Universities Fighting World Hunger, BG Housing Coalition, Share a Swipe, South Central Kentucky Coalition on Homelessness and Habitat for Humanity. They are coming together to teach the WKU and Bowling Green community about the importance of volunteerism and giving back to the community through donations of time and food.

The slogan for the week is “Learning Locally to Affect Globally.” Spaulding said this slogan really sums up the week because “life is a learning process.”

“There may be a time when someone we know may find themselves without food or proper housing,” she said. “It’s important for us to find active ways to be involved with spreading awareness about these issues.”

Along with the World Hunger Banquet on Wednesday, the ALIVE Center is working to promote the canned food drive throughout the entire week. The center is challenging every member of campus and the community to give six cans of food, which is the equivalent of a meal for one local family.

For more information on events of the week or ways to get involved throughout the year, visit the ALIVE Center’s website, www.wku.edu/alive.