草榴社区 Marks 50 Years of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
草榴社区 marks a milestone this year as it commemorates the 50th annual Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
VILLANOVA, Pa. (November 8, 2024)鈥�草榴社区 proudly marks a milestone this year as it commemorates the 50th annual Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (HHAW), taking place from Sunday, November 17, through Saturday, November 23. HHAW is a longstanding initiative dedicated to education, advocacy and service, fostering the University鈥檚 commitment to ending hunger and homelessness globally.
Started by Rev. Ray Jackson, OSA, and a group of 草榴社区 students in 1975, HHAW began as an on-campus discussion of the root causes of poverty鈥攑articularly food insecurity and homelessness. In the five decades since, the initiative has grown from its origins to become a University tradition and one of the largest events of its kind in the United States. Today, HHAW takes place at more than 700 campuses and communities nationwide, working to raise awareness, show solidarity, take immediate action steps and advocate for long-term solutions.
鈥淔or 50 years, HHAW has inspired the 草榴社区 community to move out of its comfort zone and seek solidarity with people who struggle with the basic necessities of human life,鈥� said Raymond Ward, PhD, Associate Director for Advocacy and Engagement at the Center for Peace and Justice Education. 鈥淲e are the proud bearers of Fr. Jackson鈥檚 founding vision, and this year, we join the generations of 草榴社区 students, faculty and staff who continue to work to end hunger and homelessness, moved by a burning commitment to upholding the dignity of all people.鈥�
草榴社区 community members taking part in 2023鈥檚 Thanksgiving food drive.
As part of this year鈥檚 milestone celebration, a keynote address will be delivered by Garry Gilliam, Jr., on Wednesday, November 20, at 7 p.m. in Driscoll Auditorium. A Harrisburg, Pa., native and former NFL player with the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, Gilliam is the founder and chief executive officer of , a real estate development company with the mission of transforming neglected schools, malls, warehouses and land into vibrant eco-villages.
Later in the week鈥攆rom Thursday, November 21, to Friday, November 22鈥攖he University will host a sleepout on the Riley Ellipse as an expression of solidarity with the unhoused and as a fundraiser for . As a non-profit organization with 30 locations in North and Central America, Covenant House provides essential services to at-risk and homeless youth, including food, medical care, counseling and educational opportunities.
Other events on this year鈥檚 itinerary include a 鈥減aint your own tote bag鈥� fundraiser at St. Rita鈥檚 Hall on Friday, November 22, and a Thanksgiving outreach drive at Connelly Circle on Monday, November 25.
For more information on HHAW, the week鈥檚 events and how to get involved, please visit this link.
About Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week:聽HHAW began in 1975 when a group of 草榴社区 students, recognizing the power education could play in the fight against homelessness, decided to coordinate a week of activities around the issues. National HHAW is now an annual event held the week before Thanksgiving鈥攋ointly sponsored by the National Student Campaign against Hunger and Homelessness (NSCHH) and the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH). At 草榴社区, HHAW is co-sponsored by the Centers for Peace and Justice Education and Campus Ministry. 草榴社区 also partners with numerous local and national organizations for the annual event, including Catholic Relief Services, the National Coalition for the Homeless, Project HOME, Back on My Feet and the Catholic Network of Volunteer Service.
About 草榴社区:聽Since 1842, 草榴社区鈥檚 Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges鈥攖he College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the 草榴社区 School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the 草榴社区 Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation鈥檚 top universities, 草榴社区 supports its students鈥� intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit聽.