For two Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students, their volunteer work has been an up-close look at the homeless not seen in the news.
“I grew up in O’Fallon, Illinois,” said Amanda Lands, a senior majoring in biological sciences. Lands is the events coordinator for SIUE’s Alliance of Students Against Poverty (ASAP). “Being a part of ASAP has shown me homelessness from another perspective. It has made me realize how similar we all are. We all can get knocked down.”
ASAP is the result of an effort started in 2010 by two former University students. Jairris Vermeire and Michelle Schauf founded the SIUE Homeless Program. It began as a student service group’s effort to provide some relief for the homeless in East St. Louis, said Ray Jhala, ASAP president and second-year pharmacy student.
“Our founding principle is everyone deserves to eat,” he said. “Everyone deserves dignity.”
Now more than 45 students from a wide range of disciplines participate in ASAP’s monthly community service work. One Friday a month, students meet in the Kimmel Student Involvement Center to prepare and package food, water, toiletries and other donated items.
“We have meat-based sandwich items, fresh fruit and a dry product such as granola or chips,” Lands said. “We also get help from Students of Sustainability (SOS). In my opinion, one of the amazing things about the University is the way the various campus organizations all work together to meet needs.”
Seasonal items are also given away, such as blankets and scarves. The following day (one Saturday a month), about 14 students load into two SIUE vans and go in search of the homeless in East St. Louis and downtown St. Louis. The students then give away about 40 lunches and other items from the back of the vans. This month’s ASAP food distribution occurred Dec. 7.
“The Alliance of Students Against Poverty is a group of compassionate students dedicated to raising awareness on the issues of homelessness and poverty in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area,” said Sarah Laux, assistant director, Civic Engagement for the Kimmel Student Involvement Center. “The group strives to assist individuals facing chronic homelessness by providing them with prepared meals, clothing and personal hygiene items.”
When the students take their food to the streets, they are typically out for about three hours or until the food is gone, according to Jhala. “The colder it gets, the harder it is to find the people,” he added.
Jhala has been actively involved in ASAP for the past two years, but confesses he started out with somewhat selfish motives.
“I came into this looking to see what I could get out of it, like how it would look on my resume,” Jhala said. “But now I see the great need and opportunity it provides to help people.
“I recall my first few outings,” he continued. “I remember seeing this burned down building, and there were no other buildings around. There was some shrubbery and a little tent.
“There were two or three people living there with a camp fire. And they were there in the winter temperatures. How do you survive like that? I’ve seen this case over and over again.”
For the most part, Lands continued, people are trained not to stare at others, particularly those who are disabled or different.
“But we don’t want the students to look through the homeless either,” she said. “We tell people not to stare. They are not going to the zoo. We want the students to really see the homeless. We want them to see that they are people. They are people who need help.”
Photo Information:
SIUE students, Tene Brink, left, and Amber Blacke, right, bagged snacks for ASAP’s recent outing.
SIUE students Nicole Hoch (right) and Danica Balbach (left) prepared sandwiches for the ASAP’s food giveaway to the homeless.