549,000 Americans are homeless on a typical night. 42 million Americans are at risk of suffering from hunger, and one in five children in the US live in poverty.

Felician University helped call attention to the problem by taking part in Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week November 15-22. The nationwide program draws attention to the problem and is a chance for people to hold a series of educational, service, fundraising, and advocacy events. Andy Fellows Director of Campus Ministry says, “The biggest piece is just opening people’s eyes to some of the facts and figures, and the reality of what hunger and homelessness look like, and to spread the word that there are three ways you can make a difference- volunteer, donate, and educate.

On Monday, November 16 a virtual Global Hunger event was held to help people learn about what hunger looks like around the world.  It was a chance to hear stories from Ethiopia, Madagascar, and Guatemala and the responses that Catholic Relief Service (CRS) is undertaking to help those on the margins get back on their feet. Director Fellows wants people to understand that, “our worldview is bigger than just our neighbors right here because everyone is our neighbor, no matter their background, religion or location. We’re all brothers and sisters and we are called to care for the least among us, not just the least among us who live next door, but the least among us who live anywhere and everywhere.”

On Tuesday, November 17, Campus Ministry held “Spent” an interactive activity where participants choose a job that pays minimum wage, and then figure out how to survive for a month.  Director Fellows says, “that’s not a foreign concept to many of our students and many of them are very familiar with making those hard choices to try and get through,” adding that the interactive activity “was a chance to learn about hunger in America, and the causes of poverty, hunger, and homelessness.”

The Week was extended into Monday, November 23^rd when Student Activities helped create 200 bags filled with supplies including socks, toiletries, hats, gloves, handwarmers, and other items. The bags were to benefit St. John’s Soup Kitchen in Newark where they were distributed to those on the margins in the Newark area.

Anyone who missed the chance to participate in any of those activities can still help by taking part in Felician’s ongoing food drive donations to benefit Our Sister’s Pantry, a continual food pantry that will be open and available to students to help combat hunger on campus. You can bring donations to the Campus Ministry Office in Lodi or to either of the two University libraries on both campuses. Donations of most needed items include peanut butter, canned vegetables and fruit, pasta and pasta sauce, tuna, canned soups, stews, and chili.

One thing Director Fellows wants people to understand is that “there is enough food in the world, the problem is one of distribution, so it is something that’s potentially solvable. It’s a massive, complicated many-faceted problem. But it’s not that there’s not enough food, there is enough food, it’s a matter of food waste. It’s a matter of food distribution. It’s a matter of logistics. It’s many of those things all rolled up into one. But the food is there. It just needs to get into the hands of those who need it most.”