Three Campus Enterprises student ambassadors spent their fall break in Washington DC to learn more about homelessness and food insecurity as a part of NC State’s alternative service break program.
Aeriel Ellis, Lexus Bivins and Sabrina Spencer spent their fall break touring NW Washington, DC, visiting shelters and discussing the effects of gentrification on low-income populations. They participated in service activities at Nutrition Lab and Martha’s Table and the Steinbruck Center, then attended a panel discussion with Faces of Homelessness speakers from the National Coalition for the Homeless.
Cover photo: Lexus Bivens and Aeriel Ellis, pictured on the second row, second and fourth from left, volunteered at the Nutrition Lab – DC Central Kitchen
“NC State has been focusing on food and housing insecurity among our own students this year,” said Aeriel Ellis, who coordinated the trip. “We wanted to learn more and explore how we could contribute to these efforts from our position.”
Bivins said the group learned a lot about the underlying factors that contribute to homelessness and food insecurity. “Everyone has a story,” she said. “ I learned that our initial impression of someone who is experiencing homeless can never be considered the full story of that person’s experience and does not justify the societal disregard of the issue of homelessness in general.”
Campus Enterprises Student Ambassadors work to foster a culture of leadership and professional development for other students who work in our operations. For more information, contact Annaka Sikkink, Campus Enterprises Student Success Specialist.