by Abigail Ramirez
Daily Lobo
Student Aleshia McCarter is going to clean out her pantry for the homeless.
"I see homeless people all the time around campus," she said. "A lot of people pay attention to things happening outside of where they live, and they need to pay attention to what's going on around them."
NMPIRG's student chapter and ASUNM's Community Experience are working together to collect food for local homeless shelters, said Katryn Fraher, director of the NMPIRG student chapter.
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The food drive is part of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week from Monday to Friday.
Drop-off locations are at the SUB, dorms and in shuttles.
The drive is designed to spread awareness about homelessness and what students can do to help, Fraher said.
Student Nedra Iwerks said an event like this is essential for students to realize what's going on in the world and their community.
"This shows what an active role young people take when they help with these kinds of problems," she said. "This issue needs to be dealt with. Of course, there will never be a total solution to homelessness, but we can help by alleviating the problem."
Students will ask for food donations today and Thursday at Smith's at 320 Yale Blvd. S.E. from 3 to 5 p.m., and they will canvass for donations around UNM neighborhoods.
"Students are citizens that have every right to get their voice heard and get things done," Fraher said. "If students are not aware of this issue, nothing will get done to change anything."
Homeless people don't have the opportunities an average citizen has because of economic bias or other societal factors,
she said.
Although New Mexico does not keep numbers on the amount of homeless people, Fraher said there are about 50,000 homeless people in Albuquerque.
"This is a huge nationwide issue that greatly affects not just New Mexico, but Albuquerque," she said.
People become homeless for a number of reasons, she said. Some of them include being disabled and immigrating from other countries.
A panel discussion on hunger and homelessness will be held in the SUB Ballroom on Wednesday from 3 to 4 p.m.
In support of this cause, students will sleep on cardboard boxes on Johnson Field from 7 p.m. on Friday to 7 a.m. on
Saturday.
Fraher said she expects 20 to 50 students to participate in the sleepout.
"The more people get involved and take a stand against this issue, the more it encourages others to take a stand with them," she said.
Many people are not aware of the homeless issue, do not want to know about the issue or would like to help but don't know how, she said.
Students can help by volunteering at homeless shelters and donating money, food or clothing.
"Personally, I can tell a difference," Fraher said. "Through awareness, there have been more people who know what the issues are and are talking about them and showing up to events
like this."
