24th Annual Hunger Cleanup

The Hunger Cleanup: From 1984 to Today
Some of you may remember the horrible famine that swept across Ethiopia in the early 1980's, leaving three million people at risk of starvation. The average American could not watch the evening news or visit a newsstand without seeing images of the tragic event that was threatening a nation.

At the same time, hunger and homelessness were on the rise in America as funding for several federal low-income housing and feeding programs was eliminated. From 1981 to 1986, funding to create new public housing was cut by over 75%. The backlash of these changes created a society of poor people who were forced to sleep on the streets or park benches and had to line up outside soup kitchens just to be able to eat a warm meal.

As these events simultaneously took place, thousands of Americans were compelled to act. What started in the U.S. as a group of celebrities who joined efforts to record the song We Are the World inspired countless Americans to organize great events ranging from food drives to fundraisers to service projects.

In 1984, students at Aquinas College in Michigan saw the increasing problems of hunger locally and decided that they had to do something. A small group of students recruited other local colleges and high schools to help them organize the first Hunger Cleanup, a work-a-thon designed to benefit local and national organizations working to end hunger. That first year, students from Grand Rapids raised $10,000.

Now, twenty years later, the world just watched natural disasters strike Southeast Asia, the mountainous region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, villages throughout Central and South America, and even communities along the Gulf Coast. Each natural disaster destroyed communities, leaving thousands of families and individuals homeless, hungry, and unemployed. As Americans, we often think that such poverty and natural disasters only exists in other countries. However, Hurricane Katrina showed us that America is not immune to Mother Nature and that people's lives can change in an instant. Further, Hurricane Katrina exposed the extreme poverty that has been concealed in America for decades.

It is now our job to take action on the local, national, and international levels to ensure that we make concrete steps to alleviating and ending hunger and homelessness not only in Africa, Afghanistan, and in the Gulf region but also throughout the United States and world.

Student volunteer power and funds are desperately needed to meet the urgent needs of communities nationwide. By volunteering our time, engaging and educating our peers, raising funds, and advocating for permanent solutions, we can address the most immediate needs and create a society that demands that we make ending hunger and homelessness a national priority.

Join the 24th Annual Hunger Cleanup
This spring, students around the country will join efforts to address these problems by carrying on the tradition started by students at Aquinas College more than two decades ago and participating in the 24th Annual Hunger Cleanup. The Cleanup is one of the largest national fundraising and community service a-thons in the country. Through the Cleanup, students will roll up their sleeves and grab paintbrushes, hammers, and rakes to volunteer at local hunger and homelessness relief agencies. Volunteer projects include painting local shelters, planting community gardens, repairing and cleaning food banks, and construction.

However, one day of community service is not enough to effectively alleviate hunger and homelessness within our communities. Agencies need resources to assist people who are experiencing hunger and homelessness. To ensure these agencies have the funds needed to continue this work and to find permanent solutions to these problems, volunteers ask their friends, family members, professors, and local businesses to sponsor their efforts. In other words, the Cleanup is "Race for the Cure" community service style! Over its twenty-one year history, the Cleanup has made a significant impact, involving 150,000 volunteers and raising more than $2 million for local, national, and international anti-hunger and homelessness relief efforts.

Register today for the 24th Annual Hunger Cleanup by calling the Campaign at 800-664-8647 or register online.

In addition to raising funds and volunteer power, the Hunger Cleanup:

• Educates participants and contributors about the problems of hunger and homelessness.
• Involves a diverse group of students and community members in joint action to improve communities.
• Develops student leaders and volunteers.
• Encourages continued community service participation by volunteers.
• Builds and strengthens school and community relationships for future efforts.