CSJ and Vermont Foodbank invite community to see hunger in a new way

Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m.—RUTLAND—College of St. Joseph is hosting its second annual Hunger Banquet, exploring the connections between poverty and hunger as part of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, on Wednesday, Nov. 16.
Did you know that out of the seven billion people in the world, nearly one billion of them will go to bed hungry tonight?
The Hunger Banquet—an interactive simulation and discussion—provides a new perspective on what the statistics surrounding food insecurity are really about, and why they’re difficult to swallow.
“For more than 40 years, Oxfam America has used the Hunger Banquet as a tool to raise awareness and education around the issue of hunger, both locally and abroad. The event invites you to look at hunger in a whole new way, through direct, hands-on simulation,” said CSJ’s Community Engagement Coordinator Meggan Lloyd.
College of St. Joseph welcomes Hanna Snyder, volunteer coordinator for Vermont Foodbank, as the evening’s keynote speaker. Snyder will explore hunger in Vermont and what the Foodbank is doing to alleviate the burden for families and children across the state.
“This year, the Vermont Foodbank will provide food for 153,000 Vermonters who are struggling with hunger, 34,000 of whom are children under the age of 18,” said Snyder. “We believe that a Vermont where everyone is healthy and well-fed is possible, but we know it takes the work of all of us, engaging the issues of hunger and poverty and working together to end their injustice.”
The Hunger Banquet will be held in St. Joseph Hall on the CSJ campus at 71 Clement Road in Rutland, beginning at 6 p.m. The event is open to the public, and the College is accepting donations to benefit Vermont Foodbank at the door.