Spring Break
Faculty reading to raise money for hunger, homelessness
Chau Nguyen
Issue date: 11/18/08 Section: Campus
Miami University's English department is hoping students will feed their minds instead of their bodies Tuesday night at Writer's Harvest, an event to raise awareness about hunger and homelessness in Oxford and surrounding communities.
In its 16th year at Miami, Writer's Harvest will feature short readings from various creative writing faculty members to raise money for local organizations fighting hunger.
"It's a way that students can hear the work of their writing professors all at once," said Eric Goodman, professor of English and the event's organizer. "It's a fun night and a way for students to feel like they're making some small contribution to helping fight hunger in our area."
According to Goodman, Writer's Harvest began in 1984 as a reading event sponsored by Share Our Strength (SOS), a Washington, D.C.-based group that raises money around issues of hunger in collaboration with creative writing programs around the country.
SOS also held fundraisers such as Taste of the Nation, which featured a sampling of cuisine in different cities around the country.
"It turned out that those Taste of the Nation events raised so much more money than the readings, that when they lost the sponsorship of American Express, Share Our Strength stopped doing the national reading," Goodman said. "But we carried on here, so now we do the reading ourselves and distribute the funds directly."
Writer's Harvest is collaborating with Pledge a Meal (PAM) for the event, a program which allows students to donate to local food banks using their university meal plans.
Those attending Writer's Harvest can donate money and register for PAM at the event. There is a suggested donation of $5 for students and $10 for faculty for the reading, according to Goodman.
"No amount is too small," Goodman said.
Money from Writer's Harvest and PAM will go to the Cincinnati Freestore Foodbank, the Oxford Community Choice Pantry and Serve City in Hamilton, all organizations dealing with hunger, Goodman said.
In its 16th year at Miami, Writer's Harvest will feature short readings from various creative writing faculty members to raise money for local organizations fighting hunger.
"It's a way that students can hear the work of their writing professors all at once," said Eric Goodman, professor of English and the event's organizer. "It's a fun night and a way for students to feel like they're making some small contribution to helping fight hunger in our area."
According to Goodman, Writer's Harvest began in 1984 as a reading event sponsored by Share Our Strength (SOS), a Washington, D.C.-based group that raises money around issues of hunger in collaboration with creative writing programs around the country.
SOS also held fundraisers such as Taste of the Nation, which featured a sampling of cuisine in different cities around the country.
"It turned out that those Taste of the Nation events raised so much more money than the readings, that when they lost the sponsorship of American Express, Share Our Strength stopped doing the national reading," Goodman said. "But we carried on here, so now we do the reading ourselves and distribute the funds directly."
Writer's Harvest is collaborating with Pledge a Meal (PAM) for the event, a program which allows students to donate to local food banks using their university meal plans.
Those attending Writer's Harvest can donate money and register for PAM at the event. There is a suggested donation of $5 for students and $10 for faculty for the reading, according to Goodman.
"No amount is too small," Goodman said.
Money from Writer's Harvest and PAM will go to the Cincinnati Freestore Foodbank, the Oxford Community Choice Pantry and Serve City in Hamilton, all organizations dealing with hunger, Goodman said.
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