As many as 3.5 million Americans experiences homelessness in a given year-- that's about 842,000 a week. SSU's Join Us Making Progress (JUMP) hosts National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, a week long series of events intended to encourage understanding and promote compassion.
The week of activities kicks off with a blanket making activity and a special screening of Academy-Award winning film The Blind Side, on Monday, Nov. 17 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in the Beaujolais Meeting Room. The cost of admission is one canned food item for donation.
JUMP will hosts its own Hunger Games (a nod to the recently popular book series), a series of trivia and activities designed to raise awareness about hunger and homelessness in Sonoma County on Tuesday, Nov. 15, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Stevenson Quad.
The "Starving for Change; Discussion about Local and National Solutions to Hunger and Homelessness" panel, led by Sociology Professor Sheila Katz, discusses local and national solutions to this critical problem on Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Student Union Multi-Purpose Room.
Students are invited to participate in Hunger 101, a simulation activity intended to give one a better understanding of poverty, on Thursday, Nov. 17 from 7 to 9 p.m.
On Friday, through JUMP, students can volunteer in a Santa Rosa soup kitchen, serving a lunchtime meal at the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Room, from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
Also on Friday, students can join volunteers in filling backpacks with food to distribute to children in need at John Reed and Thomas Page Elementary Schools, as part of The Backpack Project, from 1:45 to 3:30 p.m.
Other events during the week include a Café Program at the Catholic Charities Family Support Center, a volunteer opportunity to serve dinner to and eat dinner with residents of the shelter on Tuesday, Nov. 15 and Thursday, Nov. 17, from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Also on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, volunteers at the Redwood Empire Food Bank will package produce for the hungry and homeless in Sonoma County, from 5 to 7 p.m.
All week long, JUMP will be collecting non-perishable food items at the Tuscany Service Desk, the Zinfandel Service Desk or at the Cabernet and Sauvignon Laundry Rooms.
For more information, contact the JUMP Office at (707) 664-4277.