West Chester University’s second annual Hunger Banquet will explore the causes and effects of hunger while taking steps to eradicate it. The Hunger Banquet will be held on Mar. 7, from 7-9 PM, in the lower-level ballrooms of West Chester University’s Sciences & Engineering Center and The Commons (SECC), located at 275 North Campus Drive. Self-paid parking will be available at New Street Garage, located at 704 South New Street. All proceeds raised will support West Chester University’s Resource Pantry.

The cost to attend the Hunger Banquet is $5 for students, $10 for faculty and staff, and $25 for members of the community.

In anticipation of feasting on a meal found around the world, West Chester University students, faculty, staff, and community members will randomly draw tickets to sit in areas of a room that represent high-, middle- and low-income levels.

Depending on the ticket, participants may find themselves eating a small bowl of rice and beans, while others may be sitting at a table with more protein and vegetable options, and the lucky few will enjoy a full-course nutritious dinner at a table complete with linens.

Providing an interactive dining experience, a master of ceremonies will guide Hunger Banquet participants through three very different meals. As participants look around the room at the various meals being consumed from the meager to the extravagant, opportunities will be given for all to discuss and reflect on their feelings. Enhancing the interactive evening will be Chief Executive Officer of the Chester County Food Bank Andrea Youndt, who will detail the reality of hunger and food insecurity within Chester County, one of the “richest” counties in Pennsylvania.

“The Hunger Banquet enables participants to truly understand how most are surviving in the world today,” said Director of the Center for Civic Engagement & Social Impact Rita Patel Eng. “The interactive dining experience provides a unique lesson at a time when the World Bank reports that nearly 700 million people live on less than $2.15 each day; this constitutes an extreme poverty line. Increasing our awareness of this reality is a start and working towards its end is a commitment that we all need to make.”

As an annual fundraiser designed to raise awareness about world poverty, the Hunger Banquet also raises much-needed funds for the University’s Resource Pantry. Since its inception in 2016, the West Chester University Resource Pantry has actively supported student success by minimizing food and basic need insecurity while preparing students for life after graduation. The Pantry is open to all undergraduate and graduate students registered at the University regardless of need level. The Pantry also features a room designated to provide toiletries and school supplies, a welcoming intake space for students, and even an area where students can enroll in government benefits called the Benefits Hub. The Resource Pantry is supported by the Office of Financial Aid, the University’s civically engaged WCU student organizations, faculty, staff, and generous donors through the WCU Foundation.

Funds raised from the Hunger Banquet will help expand the Resource Pantry’s capacity to serve West Chester University students experiencing food insecurity, especially those who are at the highest risk, through additional programs and infrastructure, on the University’s main campus as well as at the Philadelphia location.

“The University’s Resource Pantry continues to be a critical need on campus,” shared Eng. “It had 2,903 total visits from students in the fall 2023 semester, which is the highest number of visits that the Pantry has experienced since it opened in 2016. The need among us continues to be significant. Thanks to the generosity of donors from our community of faculty, staff, students, alumni, countless community partners, and grants, WCU students can receive the support they need to thrive. We welcome everyone [to learn] more about the Resource Pantry.”

Learn more about West Chester University, the largest member of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, and how it offers a comprehensive public institution offering a diverse range of more than 180 academic opportunities in 40 fields of study across undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels.