This past week, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that 46 million Americans are now living in poverty, which is currently described as a yearly income of $22,350 or lower (per family of four). This is the highest poverty rate our country has seen since the Census Bureau began tracking poverty in 1959. In Illinois alone, 1.82 million live below that line. These are staggering statistics. Although it’s easy to feel helpless against these numbers, there are actually a lot of great ways collegiettes can get involved and help out in the CU area. Here are few easy examples:
i-Help
At Illinois, Homecoming generally means a parade, returning alumni, and great football. But for some 2,000 students and alumni all over the country, it also means volunteering. On September 23rd this year, students will be donating their Friday afternoons to assist participating area agencies, such as the Wesley Evening Food Pantry and the Crisis Nursery.
Junior Denni Dahlfors participated as a freshman in 2009. “I chose to do i-Help because I thought it was cool how many people were involved and that it was an all campus thing,” she said. Unfortunately it’s too late to register this year, but keep i-Help in mind as a way to kick off homecoming next fall!
Donate Food
Still new to the whole “feeding myself” thing (yes, I am a senior, don’t judge), I tend to buy food that sits in my cabinet for weeks. Need extra space in your cramped kitchen quarters? Donate some of your non-perishable food items to the Eastern Illinois Food Bank. In the 2009 Hunger in America survey, it was reported that the Eastern Food Bank helps 12,500 people weekly. They are always accepting donations. Find out more here: http://eifoodbank.org/donate/donate-food/
Donate Clothes
Closet space is a scarce commodity in most collegiettes’ rooms—those dorm closets are literally laughable. A lot of us bring clothes back to school that we are convinced we will wear, only to leave them hanging forgotten for months hiding behind barn dance apparel. With winter coming, clothing donations are more important then ever. There are many agencies nearby that accept clothing donations like Goodwill and the Salvation Army. Take it a step further and sponsor a clothing drive in your dorm, sorority house or workplace! Visit the Salvation Army’s website for more details: http://www.satruck.org/donate-goods
Donate Time
The very best way to help out is to lend your free time to local organizations. Senior Catherine Toupin has volunteered as a tutor in local schools and at Salt and Light (an agency that supplies food, clothes, and financial literacy for the community).
“We always hear about poverty in the U.S. and how it’s growing, but very rarely do people realize how it can hit so close to home,” she says. “We attend a world-renowned university, but at the public schools in the area there is an astonishingly high number of students who receive both breakfast and lunch from the state. The hardships that those students must face are almost impossible for the blessed university students to imagine – but it is important to be informed.“
Quad Day is more than just getting free Frisbees and flyers, there are many great groups on campus dedicated to giving back. Volunteer Illini Projects (where Toupin is in charge of tutoring) and New Life Volunteering Society both offer great opportunities to get involved in different projects that interest you.
You can also look into Habitat for Humanity, (http://habitat.union.uiuc.edu/) and Alternative Spring Break (http://www.illinoisasb.org/ ), or visit the Office of Volunteer Programs’ website (http://www.union.uiuc.edu/ovp/ ) for more opportunities.
Happy volunteering, collegietes!