Campus News

Great Falls College takes stand against hunger, homelessness

Great Falls College students Madeline Eustance and Nolin Waterhouse take a break from working in the college's food pantry for a little candy.

GREAT FALLS, Mont. – Great Falls College MSU's Office of Student Engagement is recognizing Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, a nationwide week of action where people draw attention to poverty. Staff and volunteers from Great Falls College MSU will spend the week holding educational, community service, fundraising, and advocacy events to address these critical issues.

"Hunger and homelessness are epidemics that sadly affect too many members of our community," said Joshua Archey, student engagement coordinator for Great Falls College. "We're organizing Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week to help concerned citizens tackle these issues head on, rally public support and call for solutions."

The media is invited at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, as we assemble Thanksgiving care packages for students, or media members are welcome to reach out to set up a time at their convenience to talk about Great Falls College's plans for Hunger and Homelessness Week.

"All people deserve food on their plates and roofs over their heads. Unfortunately, far too many people in Great Falls experience hunger and homelessness," Archey said.

In Montana:
• The poverty rate in Great Falls in 2017 was 16.1%, according to city-data.com
• An estimated 1,405 people were homeless on any given night in 2018, the survey found, according to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development
• Due to Covid-19, Montana is expected to lose an average of 75,000 jobs in 2020, according to the University of Montana's Bureau of Business and Economic Research.
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is co-sponsored by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness. The event originated at Villanova University in 1975 and now takes place each year in hundreds of communities across the country.

For Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Great Falls College's student engagement members will be holding a series of events, including:

• Hunger and homelessness awareness campaigns on campus and online throughout the week, including virtual hangouts so students can provide input on how the college can best serve their needs now and in the coming months.
• Collaborating with community partners to create resources for students in need, such as donations from grocers Albertsons and Smith's to stock the Great Falls College MSU Food Pantry.
• Free Thanksgiving meals care package giveaway sign-up for students.
For information on Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week events in other cities, visit http://hhweek.org.

Contact:

Scott Thompson, Great Falls College marketing and communications director, 406-771-4314, scott.thompson@gfcmsu.edu

David Mariani, MTCC AmeriCorps Leader Great Falls College MSU, 406-771-4302,
mariani@mtcompact.org