It should be noted that gathering data about homelessness in the US is impossible to do with any great accuracy. Thus, the most frequently asked question, “How many homeless people are there?” is impossible to answer. As a result, there is a wide range of estimates.

On any given night there are between 600,000 and 2.5 million people sleeping on the streets across the United States. At some point or another, five percent of US residents have relied on a shelter or food pantry for basic necessities. Many are homeless due to reasons outside of their control, such as mental illness, domestic abuse, natural disasters, and abandonment by family and friends. It is well known that hunger and homelessness are real problems that many people face on a daily basis. 

One thing that many UMB students may not know, however, is that there are real steps that you can take to help these people in need. Indeed, there are ways you can help right here on campus. One easy and fun way to get involved is to register for The Hunger Cleanup. This is an event put on by PIRGS (Public Interest Research Groups) throughout the nation. All you have to do is go to the website, www.hungercleanup.org, and register under our MASSPIRG team, MASSPIRG Champions of Life and Liberty at UMB.

Get your friends and family to throw you a few bucks and, if possible, come to a day of volunteering on April 9th.  If you don’t have time to register or volunteer, donations for our team are welcome. Donations will go directly towards hunger cleanup events as well as multiple national and international shelters. Why not take a few minutes out of your day and a few dollars out of your bank account to help this worthy cause?

If you have any questions about this event, or any other ways to get involved with MASSPIRG, email me at [email protected].