‘Grate’ American Sleep-Out to be Held on UA Quad During Hunger and Homelessness Week

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Events for Hunger and Homelessness Week Feb. 19-23 at The University of Alabama will be part of an educational campaign striving to inform the public about the harsh reality faced by the 800,000 homeless people in America today.

The “Grate” American Sleep-Out is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 22 from 8:30 p.m.-6 a.m. on the UA Quad in front of Denny Chimes. UA students will have the chance to simulate the reality of homelessness by sleeping overnight on the Quad. The night will include a screening of “Invisible Children,” a presentation on the issues of homelessness worldwide and an open forum discussion on homelessness.

A Peace Corps Information Session will kick off the week Monday, Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. in 253 B.B. Comer and will include a panel of former Peace Corps volunteers sharing past volunteer work experiences in other countries. Refreshments will be provided and any students interested in the Peace Corps are welcome to attend.

A Hunger Banquet will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20 in the Heritage Room at the Ferguson Center with guest speaker Dr. Samuel Addy of UA who will discuss poverty and tax reform.

UA students will have the opportunity to help needy people in Tuscaloosa by serving dinner at the Salvation Army on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. Interested students interested can meet at 4:40 p.m. at 231 Ferguson Center. Following the dinner, there will be a film screening of “Silent Killer” in the Ferguson Center Theater at 7:30 p.m.

The week will conclude Friday, Feb. 23 with a benefit concert featuring bands Plato Jones and Turning23 at The Library on the Strip from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. A $5-per person entrance fee/donation will be collected with the money used to provide wholesome snacks for the after-school mentoring program at Banks Middle School in Birmingham.

Hunger and Homelessness Week is sponsored by the UA Community Service Center, Americans for an Informed Democracy and Apwonjo.

For more information about Hunger and Homelessness Week at UA, contact Whitney Clearman, wlclearman@bama.ua.edu, or Natalie Walters at walte006@bama.ua.edu, in the UA Community Service Center, 205/348-2865.