Project Objectives
Fighting Hunger in the Homeland
OSU SIFE’s biggest initiative is our Fighting Hunger in the Homeland project. This project aims at combating hunger through short term, long term, and awareness efforts. One key aspect of this project is participating in the Campbell’s Let’s Can Hunger Challenge which is a national challenge geared to SIFE teams. It is a comprehensive challenge including raising awareness, immediate relief efforts, and empowering others.
Awareness
- To educate over 3000 students throughout the country on the issue of food insecurity, nutrition, and financial literacy.
In 2011, OSU SIFE facilitated a SNAP Challenge. SNAP stands for supplemental nutrition assistance program and is the new name for food stamps. The challenge asked participants to limit their food and drink budget for one week to $21 to walk in the shoes of a recipient of SNAP benefits. On average, SNAP recipients get $21 a week on a debit card. Through a vibrant print and social media campaign on Facebook and Change.org, OSU SIFE garnered 175 participants including one individual who video blogged his experience every day and shared it with us.
Urgent Hunger Relief
- To raise over 100,000 pounds of food for local foods banks through partnerships in the local communities.
This includes raising canned food to be donated to local food agencies and pantries. Oregon has the largest food insecurity rate in children in the United States. As a result, OSU SIFE puts a lot of attention and effort to raising food to be given to those in need. In 2011, OSU SIFE raised over 60,000 pounds of food and our goal is 100,000 pounds for 2012.
Lasting Hunger Relief
- To create a “Food Pantry in a Box” for other universities to implement a Food Panty system on local campus
- To hold a Statewide hunger summit on the OSU Campus to education participants about the issues, share best practices, and to create action plans.
OSU SIFE aims at fighting hunger through a comprehensive approach that targets the root causes of hunger. OSU SIFE has partnered with OSU Federal Credit Union to bring the Junior Achievement program to title I schools in our county. Through this program, we are able to teach elementary and middle school students financial literacy which helps prepare them for the future and sets a foundation for life after high school. OSU SIFE also works with the SMILE program to teach college prep and marketing skills to middle and high school students. OSU SIFE pioneered a new project in 2012 called ABC’s for PHD’s. This program partners college freshmen with elementary school students at the local Boys and Girls Club. The college students act as mentors and motivators to the kids and encourage them to pursue their goals and dreams. In January of 2012, OSU SIFE organized and sponsored the Ending Hunger in Oregon conference at Oregon State University. This brought together leaders in agriculture, education, and politics to discuss the issues of hunger and food insecurity and create a plan of action to eliminate hunger in Oregon.
- American Free Enterprise
- TIAA-CREF
Past Hunger Experience
Past Hunger Efforts:
In the summer of 2009 and 2010, OSU SIFE members traveled across the United States exploring and learning about the causes of hunger and educating others about this issue through volunteering in soup kitchens and teaching community members. In 2010, OSU SIFE gained first place in the Campbell’s Let’s Can Hunger Challenge which garnered an opportunity for Campbell’s CEO Doug Conant to speak at OSU.
Link to Lets Can Hunger challenge
Awareness
- To educate over 3000 students throughout the country on the issue of food insecurity, nutrition, and financial literacy in the United States.
Urgent Hunger Relief
- To raise over 100,000 pounds of food for local foods banks.
Lasting Hunger Relief
- To address the issue of long-term hunger relief by providing over 10,000 cookbooks nationwide based on the items most commonly found in emergency food boxes. Additionally, OSU SIFE will teach slow-cooking classes and provide cooking supplies at over 30 local food pantries.
- To create a “Food Pantry in a Box” for other universities to implement a Food Panty system on local campus
- To create a Hunger Task Force with student representatives from universities in Oregon to address the growing need and share best practices.Coordinate in a state-wide conference Fall 2011.