Imagine this: You are walking out of class and a blast of cold air hits you. It is Nov. 17, All you can think about is a warm, delicious cup of coffee. Then, you remember your friend mentioned an event in Building 8 that is offering free coffee and an opportunity to talk about their experiences with hunger and homelessness. Your day is free, so you decide to attend. You arrive and listen to impactful stories and poems while enjoying some coffee. It is a good day.
Sinclair’s Student Engagement, Food Pantry and Social Work club collaborated on “Hunger &
Homelessness Awareness Week: Open Mic Coffee Hour” to encourage students to learn more
about these topics. Attendees can gather resources and share their personal experiences on stage
on Nov. 17, in Building 8, noon to 1 p.m.
Representatives from homeless shelters, such as Daybreak and YWCA will give a brief overview
of their programs, the resources they offer and share some experiences working in the field. They
will also have tables that anyone can approach with questions.
Related article: Helping Those in Need: Fighting Hunger on Campus
Then, registered students and staff will go on stage to share their thoughts or experiences with
homelessness and hunger. This might be in the form of a poem, a song, or a personal story.
Sign up is still open for those who wish to speak. See the link at the end of the article to sign up.
Julia Stidham, a social worker at Sinclair and head of the Food Pantry, who helped create this
event, will be speaking on the subject.
“I think it’s something that people know from personal experience or maybe it’s something they
know about, but they don’t know a lot of what it’s like to be in that situation,” said Stidham.
“Sometimes too we don’t know how deep these concerns can impact students”
The Social Work Club has placed multiple bins around campus to help with the event that
welcomes donations for the Food Pantry.
They are currently focusing on hair, hygiene and cleaning products. Anything from
toothbrushes to toilet scrub brushes are in high demand. The bins can be found in Building 13 426, Building 8 025, and Building 12 351 until Nov. 17.
“This is an event to sit down, have some coffee with each other, share our experiences and learn
about these topics,” said Julia.
Sign-up link: https://forms.office.com/r/gCnZJ3Vb4R
Marissa Collier
Reporter