In 2004, 15.8 percent of Harnett County’s population alone lived in poverty. In an effort to promote awareness of poverty in the county and throughout the world, over 300 Campbell University students participated in Property Awareness Week, Nov. 12-17. Campus Minister Faithe Beam whose office sponsored the program said she was very gratified by the success of the event and the impact it had on students.”We had a successful week in our goal to raise awareness about the needs of others,” Beam said. “I had several students tell me they had decided to fast and donate what they would have spent on lunch to the food bank, others have made plans to help at the Beacon Mission in Dunn on their own time and student groups filled Christmas boxes for the Operation Christmas Child mission.”A candlelight prayer service at Turner Auditorium on Monday kicked off the week’s activities which included a forum on poverty, a student-led Campbell University Worship service and a Houseless for a Night activity in which students spent the night in makeshift shelters. On Thursday, Nov. 16, students engaged in a campus-wide day of fasting and donated the cost of the meals they would have consumed to a poverty relief fund located in the Student Center. On Friday, Nov. 17, a special concert by Michael Olson was held in Turner Auditorium, and all week long a canned food drive competition between the dormitories and donations for Operation Christmas Child were being conducted. On Saturday, students also volunteered their time at the Beacon Rescue Mission.”I don’t know if we had a most popular activity,” Beam said, “but I felt like the worship and prayer service allowed us to pause and think about how we might respond to those in need.”Both canned food and monetary donations are still being accepted.Students who worked on the planning team for Poverty Awareness Week include Heidi Shallow, Michael Davies, Melissa Stout, Dexter Dodd, Cody McCain, Megan Joyner, Libby Austin, Hannah Southern, Kay Paksoy, Dian McClary, Meredith Brunson, Leah Anderson, Kelly Rhodes, Lawrence Powers, Sarah Whittenton, and Alex Ezzell.
Poverty Awareness Week deemed success