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Intergenerational Urban Institute to Launch ‘Ending Hunger’ Initiative

November 3, 2008
By: Worcester State University News

Worcester State College invites all of its members and the local community to help end hunger in our community.  On November 18 at 10:00 a.m. in the Student Center Blue Lounge, members of the Got Food? panel will address how to end hunger in Worcester.  Congressman James McGovern will open the panel discussion via video.  Invited panelists  include Christa Drew, director of the Hunger Free and Healthy Initiative in Worcester, Jean McMurray, executive director of the Worcester County Food Bank, Katherine Shocas, director of special projects at UMass Memorial, and Ken Crater of Brigham Hill Community Farm.

The panel will be immediately followed by an empty bowl event to be held both in the Exhibit Area and the Blue Lounge of the Student Center, with soup donated by Chartwells. Bowls of soup are purchased ($5.00 for students, $10.00 for faculty and staff) and participants get to keep the bowl. In addition students have organized a raffle with prizes ranging from sports tickets to gift certificates to local restaurants.  Raffle tickets are included in the price of the bowl, but will also be sold separately.

The idea behind this project is to remember the many in our world and our community who do not have enough to eat. In preparation for the event the Worcester State College campus is being blanketed with hunger facts.  Students from the Human Needs and Social Policy class will make presentations in over seventy classes in the week prior to the event.  All the proceeds from the raffle and the bowls will benefit Worcester County Food Bank, Brigham Hill Community Farm and the Worcester Food Policy Council.

On November 13, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. in the Student Center Exhibit Area, students will be making place mats, table decorations and posters in preparation for the event.  At this event, the Intergenerational Urban Institute will launch its Commonwealth Corps, which consists of twelve members ages 18-85 who will work during the year on a variety of projects to help end hunger in the community, including food stamp outreach to elders, volunteer development for Brigham Hill Community Farm, development of hunger curriculum for urban schools, and a hunger website.

Commonwealth Corps is a new initiative of Governor Deval Patrick to involve people of all ages in service.  Worcester State College is honored to be among the first recipients of this grant.

On display in the student center building will be a portion of Worcester Historical Museums Got Food? exhibit.  The entire campus and the local community are invited to participate in this event.

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