TUSCALOOSA, Ala -- The ninth annual Hunger and Homelessness Week, sponsored by The University of Alabama Office of Volunteer Services, is scheduled for March 15-19.

During this campaign, students have the chance to increase their knowledge about poverty in the United States and do their part to help alleviate it locally. An array of awareness-raising events and volunteer opportunities are planned:

• Monday, March 15, is “Visual Awareness Day.” Statistics regarding poverty and homelessness in the U.S. and worldwide will be posted on the UA Quad.
• Tuesday, March 16, the brothers of Lambda Sigma Phi fraternity will host “Movie on the Lawn” at their house on this night. Admission to this fun-filled event is one canned good.
• Wednesday, March 17, Students will spend a night on the UA Quad for the “Grate American Sleep Out.” Participants will hear from guest speakers and view a slideshow highlighting the horrors of homelessness. Activities begin at 8:30 p.m. and conclude at 6:30 a.m.
• Thursday, March 18, Students are encouraged to experience the pains of poverty by only eating rice. Volunteers will distribute rice packets at the Ferguson Center and on the UA Quad from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Friday, March 19, Students can volunteer at the Salvation Army from 4-7 p.m. or choose from other scheduled volunteer activities.

Last year’s event attracted an estimated 125 students, and it is hoped that this year’s campaign will be even more successful.

“We believe this is a very valuable program because the problems created by hunger and homelessness both locally and worldwide are widespread,” Jeremy Henderson, UA Volunteer Services program coordinator, said. “Our goal is to take this message to students and get as many people involved as possible.”

According to the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, more than 840 million people are malnourished worldwide. More than 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness each year, and the average age of a homeless person is 9.

National Hunger and Homelessness Week is conducted one week prior to Thanksgiving. Several of UA’s events, including the Grate American Sleep Out, mirror those of the national campaign. The first Grate American Sleep Out in 1987 was initiated by politicians and celebrities hoping to raise awareness of homelessness in the U.S. In an effort to do so, they spent a night sleeping on heating grates near the U.S. Capitol. The event has since become an integral part of the national program.

For more information regarding UA’s Hunger and Homelessness Week, call Volunteer Services at 205/348-2865 or visit the office on the third floor of the Ferguson Center.