This Year's Recipients

The impact of the Cleanup is felt year-round. This spring, we will continue to build upon the success of 2007 by involving 100 schools and hosting cleanups in some of the poorest communities in America - including Hartford, CT; Camden, NJ; and St. Louis, MO. More importantly, we will raise $100,000 for vital community agencies. We will mobilize 10,000 volunteers who will work with 800 agencies, and students will provide more than 30,000 hours of volunteer power.

Through individual sponsorships, online, and business donations, each school will raise funds for organizations that provide immediate relief and work toward long-term solutions to the problems of hunger and homelessness.

The money raised will go to local, national, and international groups fighting hunger and homelessness:

Local Agencies and Organizations (50%)
Each school chooses the local organization(s) that best meet the needs of their community: food pantries, transitional housing programs, tutorial projects or programs at which they volunteer. The money raised should be used locally to address a growing need or a gap in available services.

The National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness (35%)
The national portion of the fundraising makes it possible to expand and deepen the growing network of students involved in the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness. By educating, involving and training students to be more effective in their efforts, the Campaign fosters more action and leadership in the movement to end hunger and homelessness. The funds raised through the Hunger Cleanup help to fund a staff of Homelessness Policy Experts and Organizers to conduct hard-hitting research and education in support of federal poverty programs.

International Projects (15%)
Over the past two years, the National Student Campaign has searched for ways to more effectively support international efforts to alleviate and end hunger and poverty. This includes offering immediate financial assistance to support aid work in response to the global conflicts and natural disasters, while continuing to offer long-term financial assistance to support sustainable community-based programs that elevate individuals out of poverty. As a result, the international portion of the Hunger Cleanup will support:

• Purchasing a year’s supply of emergency medical supplies and food for 30,000 refugees living in camps in Darfur, Sudan; and
• Support for the Girl Child Network in Zimbabwe, a project of the International Development Exchange (IDEX), that works to protect young girls from the threats of physical and sexual abuse in school and at home by offering a safe space for discussions, trainings, and legal and social support. GCN now serves 3,000 young girls in both urban and rural areas of the country.