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A dollar can buy seven meals for a family in San Antonio, though the San Antonio Food Bank, which has seen a 70 percent increase in demand this year.
Because of the economy, the food bank has seen people from various walks of life, including some who never thought about where their next meal would come from, Erica Benavides, community investment manager at the San Antonio Food Bank, said Oct.22.
Three events are scheduled this week to help feed the hungry.
In honor of Hunger Awareness Month, the service learning office, with help from the college honor society Phi Theta Kappa, is sponsoring the college’s first Hunger Banquet from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 5 in Room 120 of the visual arts center.
Guest speakers will be Benavides and Caroline Richardson, a volunteer with Children’s Vision International in Colombia.
A donation of $5 or five cans of food is requested.
The hunger banquet is an opportunity for students and individuals to get engaged by walking in the shoes of people who have dealt with hunger, Benavides said.
“The basic message to get across for students to attend the hunger banquet is for them to know they will be getting a chance to experience what it is like to go hungry,” she said.
Economics Professor Susan Spencer, a Phi Theta Kappa adviser, said, “The hunger banquet is letting our city come take a moment to know how it feels to be poor.”
Benavides said it is an eye-opening experience geared to move people to action.
“It’s good to come in with an open mind because they’re going to get a different perspective on the world and on the community,” she said.
The Oxfam Hunger Banquet reports if you were born in the United States, you can expect on average to live nearly 78 years. If you live in Zimbabwe, you have only a 43 percent chance of surviving past the age of 40.
“We’re fairly well-insulated in Western society from these particular problems going on in the world,” said Justin Storrs, civic engagement coordinator and a participant in the AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America program.
“It’s not necessarily bad, but our environment has borders, and it’s important to expand it because sooner or later what’s beyond those borders will affect you.”
At the hunger banquet, Benavides’ role is to provide local and national perspectives on hunger and leave students a message to get involved in the fight against hunger, she said.
“Part of what I will talk about is my personal experience with hunger, and my journey to the food bank,” she said. “I’m going to paint a personal picture of how people struggle to put food on the table.”
Each week, about 25,000 people receive emergency food assistance from an agency in the San Antonio Food Bank network, states the Food Research Action Center at www.safoodbank.org.
At the banquet, people will be picked at random to eat various meals, Storrs said. The meals are based on people’s different incomes around the world, so one student could be having a feast while another could be eating beans.
What Storrs did not like about previous banquets he participated in was that they explained the problem but didn’t offer avenues for students to do something about it.
“Other banquets would make students feel guilty,” he said. “I want to make students feel a part of the situation.”
Storrs will offer students volunteer opportunities or students can simply donate food at any food drive.
The food or money donations at the banquet will go to the Phi Theta Kappa food pantry to feed students at this college. The food pantry is open from noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday in the basement of the Catholic Student Center at West Courtland and Belknap places.
At Phi Theta Kappa, the philosophy is “Feed a body, feed a mind,” meaning having good health helps one perform better intellectually.
“Investing in our students and community is a worthy investment,” Spencer said.
Reservations for the hunger banquet are required by calling Storrs at 486-0760.
Cheshyre Cheese Club is hosting the third annual Jack Leslie Food Drive, named in remembrance of Jack Leslie, the husband of a former club member.
The purpose is to assist the Empowerment Center with providing a Thanksgiving meal for a family who might not have one, said project director John Brown, computer science freshman.
“Last year, the club raised 400 pounds of food,” Brown said.
Donation boxes will be located in each building’s departmental offices or welcome desks.
Donations also will be accepted at the Cheshyre Cheese Club’s open mic night 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Nov. 6 in Loftin Student Center.
The drive runs from Oct. 29 through Nov. 24.
Phi Theta Kappa is hosting its second annual Alumni Association “Pack the Prius” Thanksgiving food drive for the food pantry. Nonperishable food items and cash donations will be accepted 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday in the mall.
“Any event that heightens individual awareness of being hungry, without doubt, is a good endeavor,” Spencer said.
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