SPRINGFIELD – The University of Illinois at Springfield will host its annual Oxfam Hunger Banquet from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 14, in the Great Room in Lincoln Residence Hall on the UIS campus. The event is presented in observance of National Hunger and Homelessness Week and will focus on the theme "Poverty Has a Woman's Face." The dinner is free and open to the public, however reservations are required; donations of non-perishable food and canned goods will be accepted.
The program will also include a video, artwork, and displays, as well as a presentation by UIS Capital Scholars student Shana Stine.
In a Hunger Banquet, guests are randomly assigned high-, middle-, or low- income rankings and are served corresponding meals that range from gourmet fare to small portions of rice and water. The intent is to heighten participants' awareness of hunger in the U.S. and abroad.
The event is presented by UIS student organizations Women's Issues Caucus, Las Mujeres, United Students Against Sweat Shops, and International Student Association and by UIS' Office of Student Volunteers and Civic Engagement and Women's Center. Additional support is provided by the College Democrats and College Republicans.
"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.
To make a reservation for the UIS Hunger Banquet or for more information, contact the UIS Office of Student Volunteers and Civic Engagement at 217/206-7716. Additional information about hunger banquets is available at www.hungerbanquet.org/.
