CWU Civic Engagement Center Focuses On Hunger

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Central Washington University's Civic Engagement Center has designated Feb. 21-25 as "Total Relief Week." The campus and community campaign is designed to raise awareness and monetary support for emergency and survival situations faced every day by individuals, both locally and abroad.

"This campaign focuses on poverty, hunger, education, HIV/AIDS, and human survival," according to April Williams, CWU Civic Engagement Center program coordinator.

Events during the week will include a "Pakistan Survival Drive," Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 21-22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

"The goal is to raise awareness about Pakistan and the living conditions survivors are facing," Williams notes, "as well as generate monetary support for those survivors."

Volunteers will duplicate the current living conditions in Pakistan by living outside the east entrance of the Samuelson Union Building (SUB). They will also distribute information about disaster relief efforts at their "survival tent."

A "30-Hour Famine" will be held from noon on Wednesday, Feb. 22, through 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23. During that time period, participants will not eat or drink anything besides water for to replicate the sporadic food availability in some portions of the world, to raise awareness and monetary funds for local and international hunger relief.

The SUB cafeteria will be the site for the "Hunger Banquet" on Friday, Feb. 24, from 6 to 9 p.m. At the banquet, the same foods and portions, based on global averages provided by the United Nations and Oxfam International, will be served.

Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased through the CWU Foundation or the Total Relief Week information tables in the SUB

"The Hunger Banquet is designed to educate people on the facts and statistics about hunger throughout the world, including our own backyard," Williams adds. "One hundred percent of the proceeds will be given directly to the Ellensburg FISH (Friends in Service to Humanity) food bank, Oxfam International and World Vision."

Also, a "Friday Night Hunger Fight" will be held all day on Feb. 24 at the Bar 14 Ranch House and the Matterhorn Inn restaurants in Ellensburg.

"They will be donating three percent of their total food sales that day to local and international hunger relief," Williams says, adding those proceeds will be also be donated to Oxfam and the local food bank, and Ellensburg's APOYO (Allied People Offering Year Round Outreach to Spanish Migrants).

To become involved in any of the Total Relief Week activities, stop by the CWU Civic Engagement Center in SUB 212, call 509-963-1643; visit http://takeaction.u.cwu.edu, or e-mail takeaction@cwu.edu.

Contact: April Williams (509-963-1643/fax 509-963-1726/e-mail: takeaction@cwu.edu)

Public Relations and Marketing: (509) 963-1493