Hunger Banquet Raises Awareness

In observance of National Hunger and Homelessness Week, the University of Illinois at Springfield is hosting its annual Oxfam Hunger Banquet from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 14, in the Great Room in Lincoln Residence Hall.

The program will also include a video, artwork, and displays, as well as a presentation by UIS Capital Scholars student Shana Stine. The theme of this year's event is "Poverty Has a Woman's Face."

In a Hunger Banquet, guests are randomly assigned high-, middle-, or low- income rankings and are served food that range from gourmet meals to small portions of rice and water. The intent is to heighten participants' awareness of hunger in the U.S. and abroad.

"Oxfam" was the original postal abbreviation for the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief, which was started in England during World War II to provide relief to war victims in Europe. Oxfam America, an affiliate of Oxfam International, is a relief and development organization that works to create lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice.

The dinner is free and open to the public, however reservations are required; donations of non-perishable food and canned goods will be accepted. To make a reservation for the UIS Hunger Banquet or for more information, contact the UIS Office of Student Volunteers and Civic Engagement at 206-7716. Additional information about hunger banquets is available at www.hungerbanquet.org/.