EIU Media Relations

Student Community Service Sets '30 Days of Change: EIU Fights Hunger'

Eastern Illinois University Student Community Service has planned several activities for the "30 Days of Change: EIU Fights Hunger" campaign throughout November.

The campaign is motivated by local statistics: The Coles County poverty rate is above 19 percent, and according to the Eastern Illinois Foodbank, which serves a 14-county area, one in six people may not have food for dinner tonight.

• Freeze Out Hunger, a new 2-mile fun trail run on the Panther Trail (around the Campus Pond), is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6. Registration is $10, and all proceeds will go to the Charleston Food Pantry, which can purchase $10 worth of food with each dollar it receives. Walk-up registration is welcome.
• Canned goods will be used to create sculptures in the Canstruction contest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7. All canned items will be donated to the Charleston Food Pantry. See http://www.eiu.edu/volunteer/30days/nov7.php for contest rules.
• Learn how today's economy is affecting those struggling to feed their families in "The Hunger Shames," a lecture by Lisa Taylor, an assistant professor in the EIU School of Family and Consumer Sciences, at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, in 7th Street Underground, MLK Jr. Union.
• During the Good Neighbor Can Collection, students will collect nonperishable food items from homes on Sixth and Seventh streets (from Lincoln to Harrison avenues) from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12; and on Fourth Street (from Lincoln to Harrison avenues) from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13.
• Students will volunteer with area Peace Meal programs during the week of Nov. 14.
• Each Wednesday in November, each person who takes a nonperishable food item to the EIU Bookstore in the MLK Jr. Union will receive a discount on that purchase. Donations will go to the Charleston Food Pantry.
• The Hunger Challenge encourages people to attempt a week of spending only $6.67 per day -- the amount of money federal assistance provides for food -- while following the guidelines of the assistance program. See http://www.eiu.edu/volunteer/30days/hungerchallenge.php for details.
• Food collection boxes with the "30 Days of Change" logo will be placed around campus through the end of the month.

For more information about these and other "EIU Fights Hunger" events, please see http://www.eiu.edu/volunteer.