Hunger Banquet (organized by Public Allies Silicon Valley)[]
What's a hunger banquet anyway?
Team PULSE, a subsection of Public Allies Silicon Valley, is organizing a hunger banquet for Friday April 27. A hunger banquet is "a dramatization of the inequitable distribution of food and resources in today's world." The event will be tied in to a movie night for homeless people in San Jose, which will be held in May. Donations of toiletries collected at the hunger banquet will be distributed at the movie night. We are currently looking for participants and volunteers.
Why should I attend or volunteer?
The hunger banquet is a great opportunity to learn about an issue that many people within the United States are unaware of. By attending this event, you will gain a better understanding of how hunger and limited access to food are issues that affect billions of people in today's world. You will also be provided with tools and resources that you can utilize to get involved and take action.
So when is this going down?
When: Friday April 27, 5PM - 7PM (Volunteers: Your hours will be 4PM to 8PM.)
Where: Sacred Heart Community Service, 1381 South First St., San Jose, CA 95110. The entrance is on Alma, directly across from the Wendy's.
How much: Please bring some travel-sized toiletries to donate. These donations will be distributed to the San Jose homeless population. Examples include shampoo and conditioner, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, lotion, feminine products. Due to safety concerns, please do not bring razors.
What should I expect as a participant?
Taken from the Oxfam planning sourcebook.
Guests draw tickets at random that assign them each to either a high-, middle-, or low-income tier and receive a corresponding meal. The 15 percent in the high-income tier are served a sumptuous meal. The 15 percent in the middle-income section eat a simple meal of rice and beans. The 60 percent in the low-income tier help themselves to small portions of rice and water. (High-, middle-, and low-income statistics used in the Oxfam America Hunger Banquet are based on UNDP and World Development annual reports). Guests can also assume characterizations (found online at oxfamamerica.org/fast) that describe the situation of a specific person at the income level to which they’ve been assigned. Finally, all guests are invited to share their thoughts after the meal and are provided with resources to get involved.
As a volunteer, what will I be doing?
We need volunteers for the following:
- Greeters
- Servers
- Donation collectors
- Table setup
For more information and to RSVP, please contact Matthew Singh.