LocalGlobal, a student organization at Hastings College geared toward raising awareness about hunger and homelessness at the local, national and global levels, is hosting a week of activities for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. These events are supported by the Hastings College Student Assocation, Hearts and Hands Against Hunger of Hastings and the Open Table.
“Held in November, before Thanksgiving, Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is a nationwide campaign on student campuses to remind us to give what we can and to be thankful for what we have,” said Jean Heriot, faculty sponsor of LocalGlobal.
The docket for the week includes a meal-packing event in conjunction with Hearts & Hands Against Hunger of Hastings (HHAH), a sandwich-making and sack lunch-packing event to benefit Open Table in Hastings and a “Family Feud” trivia night.
Activities commence November 10 with the HHAH meal-packing event. The meals will be distributed to communities impacted by the recent hurricanes, and LocalGlobal’s goal is to pack 80,000 meals, which are comprised of rice, soy nuggets, dehydrated vegetables and vitamin-enriched chicken flavoring.
Hastings College has partnered with HHAH since 2011, contributing 1,709 volunteers and packing 367,764 meals over the last six years.
“We at HHAH really appreciate the LocalGlobal committee for the students’ dedication and effort to drawing awareness to the issues around hunger and homelessness, and taking action to meet the needs of hungry neighbors locally and globally,” said Renee Johnson, HHAH event coordinator. “The HHAH packing event at Hastings College is a highlight of each year.”
This year, the College’s volunteers will help the community group pack its 5 millionth meal. A “5 Million Meals” milestone celebration is scheduled to take place in conjunction with LocalGlobal’s event on November 10 at 10:30 a.m. in the Hastings College Hazelrigg Student Union.
The activities conclude with the Open Table sack lunch-packing event on Wednesday, Nov. 15. LocalGlobal hopes to pack 2,500 sack lunches, which will be distributed to community members through no questions asked the Open Table Sack Lunch Program. The event builds off another long-time partnership between the college and the local community organization.
Community members are invited to join Hastings College students, staff and faculty members for all the Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week events. The full schedule of events can be found below.
Schedule of Events
Friday, November 10
8 a.m. – 5 p.m. — Hearts and Hands Against Hunger Meal Packing
Hazelrigg Student Union Rooms A and B
Monday, November 13
7:30 p.m. — Student-hosted “Family Feud” with prizes available
Hazelrigg Student Union Room C
Tuesday, November 14
4:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. — Sandwich Making for the Open Table Program
Daugherty Center Conference Room
Wednesday, November 15
10 a.m. -11 a.m. — Hastings College Chapel Service
French Memorial Chapel
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. — Sack Lunch Packing for the Open Table Program
Hazelrigg Student Union Lobby
Hastings College is a private, four-year institution located in Hastings, Nebraska, that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. With more than 60 majors and 15 pre-professional programs, Hastings College has been named among “Great Schools, Great Prices” by U.S. News & World Report and a “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review. For more, go to hastings.edu.
