Since 2005, CSLEPS at N.C. State has partnered with Stop Hunger Now’s meal packaging program to support feeding programs in schools and orphanages and to help in crisis situations around the world. Up until this year, Raleigh-based Stop Hunger Now has been able to provide the funding for this event with a small amount of help from CSLEPS. According to Tierza Watts, CSLEPS associate director and Service N.C. State event coordinator, N.C. State has the goal of packaging 400,000 meals. The cost to accomplish this is $100,000.  She said because of the economic downfall, Stop Hunger Now is only providing enough money to package the first 200,000 meals, meaning the University is responsible for raising $50,000.   ”Because N.C. State has to raise $50,000, we [are] requiring that all volunteers for this event raise at least $50, but more is always good. We want to stress that we do not expect students to pay this money out of pocket. We have several suggestions for how to raise the money,” Watts said. ”With your help, we know we can accomplish this goal and continue our growth in this project.” According to the University Million Meals Week Event overview, $50 would pay for 200 meals to be packaged, meaning it costs $0.25 to package one meal. Million Meals Week is August 21 to 28.  Stop Hunger Now has the goal of packaging one million meals throughout the state of North Carolina during this one week. All of the meals the University packages will go toward hunger relief in Haiti.”Stop Hunger Now has already been in Haiti for 10 years; but with the recent earthquake, N.C. State will be sending all the meals we package to the crisis relief effort in Haiti,” Watts said. According to Chessney Barrick, development director for Stop Hunger Now, more than 25,000 people die of hunger related causes every day, meaning that is about 10 million people in a single year, the equivalent of losing almost everyone in North Carolina. ”Hunger is preventable. There are enough sustainable resources in the world right now to feed everyone 4.3 pounds of food every day,” Barrick said.  Overall, Stop Hunger Now will send more than half of the meals packaged to earthquake victims in Haiti, according to Ray Buchanan, president and founder of Stop Hunger Now.   ”Stop Hunger Now is committed to providing aid to those in Haiti after the current crisis stops making headlines,” Buchanan said. “The resounding success of University Million Meals Week in the past two years assures us we can do it again. The scale of this event draws much needed attention to the war against hunger and provides life-saving meals to the most destitute in the world.” ”CSLEPS is also sponsoring another volunteer event the weekend of August 20 to 21 in conjunction with Teaching Fellows,” Watts said. The two will come together to sponsor a blood drive.”Every year we have to turn away between 600 and 700 people who want to volunteer with the meal packaging event,” Watts said. ”This year, we are adding a blood drive to the events that weekend in hopes of collecting 500 pints of blood, meaning we need at least 600 people to sign up to donate blood that Friday.”Within the last years, UNC-Chapel Hill and Appalachian State University have both sponsored 1,000 pint one-day blood drives. Watts said she encourages NCSU students to help to meet this year’s goal of 500 pints in hopes that next year there can be a 1,000 pint blood drive.”The blood drive and meal packaging event are both open to students, faculty and staff — and anyone in Raleigh — so we encourage everyone to get involved,” Watts said.  Watts said she wants to make sure everyone knows about the changes in Service N.C. State. ”This year, students need sponsorship for $50. Donations can be made in the student’s name on line, where the donor will get a tax receipt from Stop Hunger Now. Students interested in participating in Service N.C. State must register online by July 1 in order to secure a spot for volunteering. Also, the blood drive is another way to participate in Service N.C. State,” Watts said.Dates to remember:

July 1 – Deadline to register online (Meal Packaging Event or Blood Drive)

August 20 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. Unload the materials

August 20 TBABlood Drive

August 21 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Meal Packaging 

For more information visit: http://ncsu.edu/csleps/service/servicenc.htmSource: ncsu.edu