Local residents will join faculty and staff members and students of the University of Illinois on April 9 for the 2016 Community and Campus Day of Service.
Hundreds of volunteers are needed for the day’s primary event, the Food Packaging Project. The goal is to package 149,000 meals – 1,000 for each year the Illinois campus has contributed to the local community since it was chartered. The Eastern Illinois Foodbank will distribute the meals to needy families in Urbana-Champaign.
The Food Packaging Project will take place at Memorial Stadium and is being coordinated by the student group Illini Fighting Hunger. It’s the fourth year the Urbana campus has partnered with the food bank for this event.
Anyone can register to volunteer as an individual, family or in a group at dayofservice.cuvolunteer.org. Volunteers are needed to fill hour-and-a-half shifts throughout the day. Supervised children also may participate.
The university and Illini Fighting Hunger also are seeking financial support to cover the cost of ingredients used in the meals for this and future events. People may make a tax-deductible contribution at dayofservice.cuvolunteer.org/support.
Community and Campus Day of Service will kick off National Volunteer Week 2016, April 10-16, and more volunteer opportunities can be found at cuvolunteer.org. The week will end with Austin’s Day on April 16, which will feature more local volunteerism opportunities at nearly 15 local charities.
“Poverty and hunger continue to be important issues in our community, and Community and Campus Day of Service encourages a variety of people to come together to help,” said event organizer Sarah Zehr. “From elementary school students to those at the university, as well as adults from within campus and the community, this event uses teamwork to help those in Champaign County.”
Organizers also are seeking corporate sponsors to help pay for the food and supplies at the packaging event. More information is available at dayofservice.cuvolunteer.org/sponsorship.
