On Nov. 16, from 5-6:30, Volunteer ETSU and the Alpha Epsilon Delta Health Pre-Professional Honor Society hosted the Hugs for the Homeless event.
Students were invited to help put together hygiene bags and make fleece blankets. These were then donated to the Johnson City Downtown Day Center to be distributed out to those in need. All items for the hygiene bags were donated by students during the previous week.
“We expect up to fifty bags,” said the president of Volunteer ETSU, Elayna Chavis, in an interview before the event. “So that will go out to as many people as it can.”
The Hugs for the Homeless event was just one of many events hosted during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. From Nov. 12-20, Volunteer ETSU and the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement offered an array of opportunities for students to spread awareness.
When asked about Volunteer ETSU, Chavis responded, “We are that bridging gap in between our students and organizations and we give as much outreach as we can so that the students can volunteer at those organizations.”
While Hugs for the Homeless kicked off the week, a hunger banquet in partnership with Oxfam was hosted the following day, educating attendees on hunger globally. On Nov. 18, a film screening for a documentary on homelessness titled Lead Me Home was shown.
The week ended with Volunteer ETSU’s Service Saturday, which split students into groups to volunteer at Johnson City Downtown Day Center, Johnson City Health Center, Bucky’s Food Pantry and Ronald McDonald House.
To learn more, visit: www.etsu.edu/hunger.
