Oxfam America

 

 

Some of you may have had the opportunity to attend the Oxfam America Hunger Banquet that took place yesterday, or maybe you have attended a Hunger Banquet in the past.

The Hunger Banquet is a powerful event that allows people to experience the inequality of food distribution that occurs around the world. I remember at my first Hunger Banquet, sitting on the floor with a handful of rice, being moved to tears by experiencing poverty at a level that millions of people are subjected to. They say that 1 out of every 7 people goes to bed hungry. This statistic really hit home for me because I have 7 people in my own family. I remember thinking: What if this was one of my own family members having that small amount of food to eat on a daily basis? And I knew right then that this issue was going to become very important to me.

Oxfam America is a "global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger and injustice."
Thier vision: A just world without poverty.
Their mission: To create lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and social injustice.

Instead of just providing charity to poor people, Oxfam works on empowering people and communities through creating sustainable solutions that will last.

One of their big campaigns is the GROW Campaign. The mission of this Campaign is to "build a better food system: one that sustainably feeds a growing population and empowers poor people to earn a living, feed their families, and thrive."

If you are interested in learning more about the work of Oxfam America, you can visit their website: www.oxfamamerica.org.

If you want to get more involved in Oxfam America, you can check out their CHANGE program at http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatyoucando/take-action/student-action/change.

The CHANGE Program is a student leadership program that "develops capable leaders, who are informed voices for positive social change, and who inspire greater global awareness in others." As a CHANGE Leader, you become more informed about issues surrounding poverty, hunger and injustice and learn how to spread awareness and activism about these issues on your campus.

As a CHANGE Leader Alumni, I can say that this was an amazing experience that taught me a lot. Not only that, but you get to meet college students from all over the U.S. who are just as passionate as you about creating change.

If you are interested in finding out more information about the CHANGE Program, feel free to contact me at hilln@my.easternct.edu and I would love to tell you about my own experience!


~Nicolle Hill, CCE Intern

Homelessness in CT

This is the second part of a two part series leading up to the Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week that is taking place November 18-23. Last week was on hunger in Connecticut; this week will be featuring the issue of homelessness.

As the days get colder and darker, the issue of homelessness becomes an urgent matter.

According to the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness' article titled "Portrats of Homelessness in Connecticut," the state's emergency shelters served 11,700 people, 1,500 of them being children (Portraits, 1).

The factors that they list as contributing factors to homelessness include (Portraits, 1):

• Inadequate Income: "homeless families typically have extremely low incomes under 50% of the poverty level" (p. 1).
• High Costs of Housing: In 2010, CT had the 5th highest cost of living in the U.S. and about 80% of poor households in CT are weighed down by housing costs with 50% of their paycheck or more going towards rent.
• Interpersonal Violence: 40% of CT adults in families said that domestic violence contributed to their homelessness.
• Disability Health Conditions: this factor is on the rise as more and more adults are diagnosed with medical and psychological conditions
• Re-entry and Criminal Justice Involvement

In 2010, CT had 24 emergency shelters for homeless individuals, 10 for homeless families and 18 that serve a mixed population of both families and individuals (p. 3).

If you would like to read more about Homelessness in CT from this article, you can find it at: http://www.cfgnh.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/Public/giveANDlearn-reports/HOMELESSNESS-portraits_full.pdf

Hunger in Connecticut

The CCE is putting on many events this month to raise awareness about Hunger and Homelessness.

What does the issue of HUNGER look like in Connecticut?

The Connecticut Food Bank has done a lot of research alongside Feeding America about hunger and poverty in Connecticut. You can check out their website here: http://www.ctfoodbank.org/
Here are some interesting facts that I found on their website:

• 20.9% of children in Windham County live in a food insecure household.
• That's about 5,560 children
• 19.8% of children in Connecticut live in a food insecure household.
• That's about 157,550 children
• In Connecticut, 1 out of 7 households cannot always afford the food that they need.

What is food security?


According to the USDA, food security is defined as "access by all people at all times to enough nutritious food for an active, healthy life."

It is difficult for people who live in a food insecure situation to afford foods that will provide the adequate nutrients needed for this active and healthy lifestyle. Instead, those in a food insecure situation are eating foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt content which does not contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

Check out this interactive map that has food insecurity statistics from all across the U.S.: http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-studies/map-the-meal-gap.aspx

What can you do to help?

• You can help by participating in the food drives happening every weekend this month and encouraging your friends to join you.
• Look out for the events that will be happening during the Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, November 18-23 and participant in as many of the events as you can.
• Attend a People Helping People, Habitat for Humanity or other social service club meeting and see what events they are putting on this month.
• Get involved with GROW Windham.
• Check out the Connecticut Food Bank website mentioned above for more ideas and facts.
• Sign up for the Day of Giving which is November 27 (the day before Thanksgiving)

If you are interested in any of the events above and would like more information, just e-mail the Center for Community Engagement at cce@easternct.edu.

A Picture is Worth 1000 Words

Sometimes numbers just don't cut it with relaying information. Below is a fantastic infographic that highlights poverty statistics in the U.S.A.

Did You Know...?

• In 2011 The 4 most popular volunteer service activities were
1. Fundraising or selling items to raise money (26.2%)
2. Collecting, preparing, distributing or serving food (23.6%)
3. Engaging in general labor or transportation (20.3%)
4. Tutoring or teaching (18.2%)

• More women than men volunteer regardless of education, age, and other demographics

• Volunteer rates were lowest among 20-24 year olds

• Nearly 4 in 10 (38%) working mothers volunteered

• Married people volunteer more than non-married individuals

• Individuals with children volunteer more than those without kids

• The average volunteer spent a total of 50 hours volunteering from Sept. 2011-2012

• In 2011 The top 5 states of volunteering:
1. Utah 40.9%
2. Idaho 38.8%
3. Iowa 38.4%
4. Minnesota 38.0%
5. South Dakota 36.8%

• More volunteers volunteered in 2011 than in any year since 2005

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.nr0.htm

http://eleventygroup.com/site/14-facts-and-statistics-about-the-state-of-nonprofit-volunteer-recruitment/

Puentes al Futuro Newsletter, Vol. 1, Issue 1

As adults we know why we love having the Puentes al Futuro Summer Camp here on campus. It gives the kids access to a lot of fun activities (including sports, an indoor swimming pool, and arts and crafts), they can continue working on their academics (English and Math classes occur twice a week each), and they work closely with college-aged counselors who serve as mentors and role models. 

But, do the kids love it? If so, why? To solve these perplexing questions, the camp's English teacher, Jenny, asked the campers to write about why they love camp as a part of the regular newsletter project she is doing with them!

Read below to see what the kids really think. There are some truly heart-warming accounts.

"Poverty, Love, and Money" by Jessica Jackley

Jessica Jackley's Ted Talk, "Poverty, Love, and Money" touches upon a lot of themes that surround many of us who are involved in community engagement, volunteerism, and social justice. Around the CCE, we like to downplay the use of the word "help." It is not with a mentality that we are giving to those less fortunate out of guilt, shame, or feeling more adequate, but with the mindset that we are sharing a skill or gift with our neighbors who are in turn sharing their skills and gifts with us. Rather than a one-way road, we emphasize building symbiotic partnerships with those we work and interact with. 

This mindset is relatively new. Many people, like Jessica, give money or time to help someone because it is what is expected of them. They hear stories about the poor suffering and think only to address this immediate misfortune. 

However, there are two sides to every story. I highly encourage you to watch Jessica's talk, hear about her exploration of the state of poverty, application of love, and power of money. 

If you're unsure how to tackle a social justice you find challenging, how to better understand and empathize with someone you may otherwise look down on because of their financial status, how you fit in to society as a volunteer or advocate, this video is perfect for you! 

Video link: http://bit.ly/14WXXil
Jessica's foundation: http://bit.ly/13rUfsI

Eastern's Community Education Garden Grows!

Over the past three months students, faculty, and community members have been growing fruits and vegetables for the local soup kitchen at Eastern’s Community Education Garden. Inside its white picket fence on High Street, one can find waist-high potato plants, a variety of heirloom tomatoes, sugar peas, pole beans, and strawberries. Carrot and corn shoots are beginning to peep up out of the soil. Beets, onions, and garlic are nearing a foot in height.

Recently interns from the Institute of Sustainable Energy planted watermelon. Jalapeno peppers were put in the soil with the help of Windham High School students. Sweet herbs from the Willimantic Farmer’s Market, stevia, and chocolate mint mark off the tea corner. A multifarious band of volunteers from the Eastern community come to help out: biology professors, athletic trainers, resident assistants,  and librarians. This week a Visitor’s Welcome sign is being installed to invite anyone who wishes to come in and have a look around.

Guest post: Bryan, '15

Find more pictures here!

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/detail.sfly?imageIndex=0&sid=0AYs2jdk5cN2Lkw&fid=fee91f8dcca5f339

World Hunger: How Will You Help?

Take action: https://www.wfp.org/donate/1billion

Originally posted Sept. 19, 2011