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Pepperdine to Participate in National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week 

Pepperdine University

The Pepperdine community will join other college campuses in participating in National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week beginning Sunday, Nov. 11, through Saturday, Nov. 17. During this week, numerous schools, communities, and cities take part in a nationwide effort to create awareness about the hunger and homelessness crisis in the United States.  

Members of the Pepperdine community will take part in service opportunities organized by the University's Volunteer Center, some of which include Habitat for Humanity builds, a Lego house fundraiser, and a Salvation Army shopping spree with local low-income children.

Says Ashley Nolan, associate director of the Pepperdine Volunteer Center, “Through the week’s events our hope is that students will not only learn about the complexity of these issues but also find a way to personally act toward finding solutions.” Citing the statistic that in Los Angeles County over 68,000 people are homeless on any given night, Nolan comments, “As members of the Los Angeles community it is important for Pepperdine to be educated about this social issue in our community and to take action to help those in need. The week of hunger and homelessness is just one of the ways we are working toward this goal.”

The Lego house competition is a weeklong event starting Monday, Nov. 12. The following morning, Pepperdine student volunteers will escort low-income children as they go on a $100 shopping spree for clothes and other necessities at the Salvation Army. A 24-hour fast begins on Tuesday, Nov. 13, ending with a Hunger Banquet the next day in the Waves Café. The Urban Reality Tour, which gives students an opportunity to see the often overlooked poverty in Los Angeles, is also set for Tuesday.

A special convocation program titled “Where are the True Christians” is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 15, in Stauffer Chapel. On Saturday, Nov. 17, students will participate in Homewalk, a community initiative sponsored by the United Way of Greater Los Angeles and People Assisting the Homeless (PATH). Thousands of people in downtown Los Angeles will walk together to raise money and awareness in order to prevent homelessness.

For more information about these and other events taking place during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week at Pepperdine, or to register as a volunteer, please visit the Pepperdine Volunteer Center Web site.