Students “Fill the Bowl” to Fight Hunger

11/20/2013

Students in a SUNY Cortland communication studies course aimed at social change recognized National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week with a “Fill the Bowl” project Nov. 21 that collected more than $1,000 in cash and more than $500 worth of groceries.

Throughout the week, students in the course collected spare change in 100 yellow bowls on campus. The project then involved passing those bowls along with non-perishable food items down West Court Street.

The effort sought to demonstrate hunger issues faced in Cortland, where 17.7 percent of the community lives below the poverty line.

Classmates in the “Communication and Social Change” course taught by Professor Caroline Kaltefleiter invited fellow students as well as College employees and community members to line the sidewalk with them. Around lunchtime, they passed yellow bowls of the collected funds and were joined by City of Cortland Mayor Brian Tobin.

The money and non-perishable food items were collected at the Blue Frog Café and donated to Loaves and Fishes, the local food pantry located at 13 Court St.