Central College will host numerous programs in relation to National Homelessness Awareness week.

On Monday, they will show the documentary film “Inocente” in the Van Emmerik Theatre at 8 p.m. On Thursday, they will hold the Oxfam America Hunger Banquet in the Graham Conference Center at 6 p.m., where half of the guests will eat a meager dinner, seated on the floor. The event is open to the public and costs $5 (Central students can attend for free). It will be a highlight of the college’s Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, which is sponsored by the Center for Community-Based Learning.

At the banquet, guests will draw tickets to be randomly assigned a high-, middle- or low-income tier, based on the latest poverty statistics. Each tier will then receive a corresponding meal: the top 20 percent will be served a plentiful dinner; the middle 30 percent will eat a simple meal of rice and beans; and the remaining 50 percent will receive small portions of rice and water. Throughout the meal, a master of ceremonies will guide participants through the experience. Then all guests will be invited to share their thoughts and take action to help overcome global poverty. All guests will also receive a handcrafted souvenir created by the Pella Art Center for the event. Also, Central biology students will display their research on poverty and sustainability issues, originally presented at the Heartland Global Consortium, outside the banquet area starting at 5:30 p.m. Guests can reserve a place at the banquet by calling 641-628-5424 or emailing Katie Zellmer at zellmerk@central.edu.

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

Nov. 17 – Documentary film “Inocente” showing in Van Emmerik Theatre, 8 p.m.

Nov. 18 – Hunger and Homelessness Jeopardy trivia game in Maytag Student Center, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
– Expert panel on Hunger and Homelessness in Van Emmerik Theatre, 7 p.m.

Nov. 19 – Hunger and Homelessness Jeopardy trivia game in Maytag Student Center, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Nov. 20 – Documentary film “Hunger in the Heartland” showing in Van Emmerik Theatre, 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.