Week of activities recognizes homelessness

Yesterday marked the beginning of Hunger and Homelessness Week which will be held at the University and across the country through Friday. The week-long project is organized by the Penn Volunteer Network. Each day different activities will work to increase awareness of the world-wide problem of homelessness, according to PVN President Kathleen Sullivan. "[This week is an attempt to] encourage people to learn about homeless people, the causes homelessness and allows them to explore what they can do to become involved in finding a solution to the problem," College senior Sullivan said. Yesterday, formerly homeless people talked about their experiences in a discussion called "Faces of the Homeless." Tomorrow, starting at noon in Bishop White Room in Houston Hall, Social Work professor Richard Estes will be speaking on world hunger. At 7:30 p.m., PVN and the United Minorities Council are co-sponsoring a forum entitled "Myths and Realities of Homelessness." University professors, local experts and former homeless people will conduct a roundtable discussion in the Castle. Dennis Culhane, assistant psychiatry professor, will speak from 12 to 1 p.m. on Wednesday about homelessness in the Bowl Room of Houston Hall. At 8 p.m., the film Takeover will be shown in the High Rise South upper lobby. According to Sullivan, the film shows homeless people taking over Housing and Urban Development houses that they were promised during a Housing Now March on Washington in 1989. Thursday has been designated as the OXFAM Fast for World Hunger. People were asked last week to give up meals at Dining Services in order to help feed the world's hungry population. Helen Rosenfeld coordinated the effort for PVN. She said that some people choose to fast that day to feel a part of the cause to help hunger. "If they [students] don't want to fast, at least they're participating in helping," Rosenfeld, a College junior said. "If they can give up a meal at dining services to help someone else, they are showing their support." Dining Services will give the cost of preparing the meal to OXFAM, which according to Rosenfeld is $3 to $4 for dinner and $5 to $6 dollars if students give up both lunch and dinner. On Thursday night, PVN will hold a sleep-out on College Green. The evening will begin at 9:30 p.m. with a candlelight vigil, and will feature speakers and discussion groups. "We're trying to raise campus sensitivity, understanding and awareness of homelessness," Sullivan said. "We're not trying to mock being homeless. This is more of a statement and a chance to learn about the issues. Friday, PVN plans to hold a Habitat for Humanity service project. Throughout the week, a photo exhibit of the homeless will be on display at the Christian Association and a canned food drive is underway. Students are also encouraged to volunteer at the University City Hospitality Coalition which serves meals on weekdays, Sullivan said. "If we're going to be living in a city and at Penn for four years, homelessness is going to be a part of our lives," Sullivan said. "We owe it to ourselves and to the people around us to understand the problem and to do something about it."

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