Students Nationwide Commemorate World Food Day
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 26, 2009) — College students at more than 35 campuses nationwide pulled an all-nighter with the international relief organization Food For The Poor to commemorate World Food Day on Oct. 16. Their goal was to help end hunger in developing countries.
“The students e-mailed their friends and contacts on Facebook and Twitter, and general contacts asking them to help the poor,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director. “In this case, building awareness is just as important as raising money. Awareness is very important in the battle against hunger.”
The night of Oct. 16, Food For The Poor through Ustream.tv broadcasted live via a Web-conference to participants, sharing videos, live music, photos, stories from the field and testimonials.
Through raising awareness and sponsorship donations, college groups and organizations will fund programs that enable poverty-stricken communities throughout the Caribbean and Latin American to feed themselves.
Campus entertainment included local musicians, dancers, and guest speakers. Discussion topics included women’s health, infectious diseases, and poverty in the western hemisphere.
Stephanie Del Pino, a sophomore at Miami Dade College, said their campus goal was to raise $20,000 to build a tilapia farm.
“The tilapia farm will provide the community with jobs and food, and help the people become self-sufficient,” Del Pino said. “We are not just throwing food at these people, we are helping them climb out of poverty in a sustainable manner.
The initiative to fight hunger and poverty spurred nearly 200 Miami Dade College (MDC) students to register online and participate in Food For The Poor’s “All-Nighter for the Poor.” Approximately 600 people attended the college’s event.
For more information about All-Nighter for the Poor call 1-877-654-2960, ext. 6988. To download publicity materials, create personalized donation pages and more, visit www.allnighterforthepoor.org.
Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. We provide emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.
Campuses participating in All-Nighter for the Poor include: American InterContinental University, Barry University, Broward College, Bryant University, Chemeketa Community College, Concordia University, Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, Franciscan University, Furman University, Howard University, Keene State College, Lawrence University, Luther College, Lynn University, Miami Dade College, NOVA Southeastern University, Purdue University, Sacred Heart University, Saginaw Valley State University, Stephen F. Austin State University, Tufts University, University of Arizona, University of Florida, University of Miami, University of Kansas, University of Wisconsin, University of Wyoming, West Virginia University, Wright State University.
Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Public Relations Coordinator
(954) 427-2222 x 6054
[email protected]