HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS AWARNESS WEEK
November 11th - 15th
As we enter the season of giving, our hearts reach out to those who struggle to have enough food or the warmth of a home. Through Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, we’re able to learn, raise awareness, and do something to help right here on UNCG’s campus, where half of our students experience food insecurity.
For almost 50 years, schools and community groups have organized across the country to support students facing hunger and homelessness and provide resources to students in case they or someone they know ever find themselves in need. The National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness traditionally sponsor the event the week before Thanksgiving.
Wesley-Luther and the Spartan Open Pantry (SOP) are heading up UNCG’s Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week Nov. 11-15, a week before the national event to avoid conflicting with final exams and Thanksgiving. The week will be full of events including tabling for information and resources, a workshop on how to use SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), an SOP open house, cooking demonstrations, a gardening workshop, a food drive, and a volunteer hour for building basic-needs bags.
Monday
Information Table
EUC Commons
11 am – 3 pm
Tuesday
Information Tabling
Caf (Lower Level)
9 am – 12 pm
SNAP Clinic
Smith Center
1 pm – 2 pm
Wednesday
Empty Bowls Sale
EUC Commons
10 am – 2 pm
Basic Needs Bag Building
Smith Center
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Thursday
SOP Food Drive
Smith Center
8 am – 7 pm
(Online all Day)
SOPen House
Smith Center
10 am – 2 pm
Family Dinner
Smith Center
6 pm
Friday
Gardening Workshop
Smith Center Garden
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm
Nutrition on a Budget
with Second Harvest
Smith Center
5 pm – 7 pm
ABOUT OUR EVENTS
SNAP Clinic:
The SNAP Clinic is an opportunity for UNCG community members to learn about FNS (Food and Nutrition Services), determine their eligibility, and get assistance with applying for SNAP.
Empty Bowl Sale:
The sale will be a continuation of the Empty Bowl Sale that OLCE held in September, giving buyers the opportunity to buy more of the amazing bowls our awesome community painted to support the SOP’s mission of raising awareness for hunger and fundraising to combat hunger on campus.
Basic Needs Bag Building:
Volunteers are invited to help us prepare basic needs kits for distribution to community members, providing them with essentials such as toothpaste, lotion, deodorant, granola bars, lip balm, bandages, and more. Our goal is to pack 100 bags.
SOPen House:
We invite community members to visit the Pantry outside of distribution hours to see what we do and ask questions about our services and operations.
Gardening Workshop:
The Gardening Workshop will use the SOP’s new garden as a reference to teach attendees about community gardening and gardening at home. The workshop will make gardening more accessible and comprehensible for beginners, providing them a basic understanding of gardening. Participants will receive seeds to get started on their journeys!
Second Harvest Cooking Demonstration:
Shallelica Mean, from our partner food bank, Second Harvest of North Western NC, will lead a demonstration about Nutrition on a Budget. Attendees will learn about cooking nutritious food while also being financially conscious. They will also be able to eat the food prepared during the demo.
