IRVINE -- UC Irvine and six other campuses are teaming up Monday, Nov. 17, through Friday, Nov. 21, to collect funds, food and cast-off shoes for the increasing number of distressed families in Orange County. "Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week" aims to call attention to the estimated 456,000 people at risk of going hungry each month and the 35,000 homeless, including 6,000 children, in the area. Growing unemployment, home foreclosures and the credit crunch are creating more community need while some sources of essential donations are cutting back on giving.
UCI's Hunger & Homeless Awareness committee, made up of students and staff, initiated the idea to collaborate with neighboring Orange County campuses for this common purpose, said Darlene Esparza, UCI's Center for Service in Action director. Working with UCI are California State University Fullerton, Fullerton College, Chapman University, Irvine Valley College, Santiago Canyon College, Laguna College of Art + Design and Sage Hill School.
"We are excited to partner with local campuses for the food drive, Campus CANnections, since it empowers students to work together and generates a greater understanding of the impact they can create together," Esparza said. "Students create innovative projects throughout the year to help those in need.
This is just one way of increasing awareness of struggles individuals face in Orange County and nationwide. This is the first collaboration, and we already are looking forward to next year."
Among the events scheduled through Nov. 21 at UCI:
• Campus CANnections food drive: Get involved by donating nonperishable food items to be turned over to the Community Action Partnership of Orange County. Collection bins are located at UCI Athletics, Mesa Court and Middle Earth housing, and UCI Student Center. For creative ideas on how to get involved, call 949-824-3500 or e-mail volunteer@uci.edu.
• Reuse-A-Shoe Drive: Hosted by UCI women's volleyball. Drop off old tennis shoes at any housing complex, ARC, bookstore or a home women's volleyball match and help celebrate America Recycles Day. Shoes will be recycled into playground surfaces for schools, parks and community centers.
• Free admission to UCI men's basketball: Bring three canned food items to the game at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, in the Bren Events Center and get in free. Other scheduled events include a visit from Peace Corps representatives, a hunger awareness banquet, charity poker game and more. For more information, visit www.volunteer.uci.edu/programs/H&H/index.php.
Co-sponsors are Circle K at UCI, UNICEF at UCI, Students for Homeless Outreach United Together (SHOUT), UCI Athletics, Middle Earth Housing, Mesa Court Housing, Palo Verde Housing, UCI Cross-Cultural Center and UCI Health Education Center.
About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 27,000 undergraduate and graduate students and nearly 2,000 faculty members. The third-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.6 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.
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