Throughout the month of November, the University of North Georgia is coming together to raise awareness about food insecurity and homelessness for the annual Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Students, faculty and staff at all campuses are participating in events that aim to foster empathy, community service and social action.
The events kicked off Nov. 3 with Lost in America, a documentary on the struggles of homeless youth, screened at the Oconee campus. Pantry to Plate took place at Gainesville, highlighting the work of the UNG Food Pantry in support of students and demonstrating how to create cheap, no-cook meals from pantry staples. Meanwhile, running on all campuses was Outfits for Outreach: Clothing Drive. The UNG community is also collecting hygiene and school supplies on the Dahlonega and Gainesville campuses for those in need.
On Nov. 4, students visited Dahlonega’s Resource Tabling to learn about volunteer options and area organizations working to end hunger; the Story Wall at Oconee became a space for people to post personal stories of struggle. The Did You Know? sticker campaign on Nov. 5 turned Oconee into an interactive awareness showplace as dozens of facts and statistics related to poverty and homelessness were posted around the campus.
The Oxfam Hunger Banquet took place on Nov. 6, where food and seating were left to chance, representing the actual inequity in access to food around the world. A more visually engaging way to communicate that message was the Stat Walk across Oconee. The first week wrapped up with Freebie Friday at the Oconee Food Pantry, where students received free meal kits and recipes to encourage healthy, low-cost eating.
As the campaign continues, more opportunities for engagement will become available to UNG students. A film screening of The Way Home and discussion with producer Erin Peterson on Nov. 10 asked participants to consider homelessness in metro Atlanta through the telling of personal stories. Period Poverty Tabling on Nov. 11 will raise awareness about the way access to menstrual products impacts dignity and health.
Reality Check simulation on Nov. 12 asks participants to work within a slim budget amidst life’s unexpected twists, while later events focus on the intersection of disability, housing insecurity and poverty. Events wrap up on Nov. 14 with the Sleep Out Challenge, providing students an evening of contemplation in solidarity with those experiencing homelessness. Students will have the opportunity to sleep outside, in their car or in a simulated shelter, seeing firsthand how homelessness impacts people’s lives.
Through education, empathy and action, UNG’s HHAW shows how a campus united can turn awareness into action, reminding every Nighthawk that change begins with compassion.
