A community-wide movement to spread awareness about hunger will begin Thursday and continue throughout the month.

Rachel Fisher, director of student community service, said the EIU Hunger Challenge program provides education opportunities to help students understand what poverty really means.

Fisher said many students know of poverty, but do not fully understand it.

“Poverty can directly impact not only ourselves but also our friends in our community,” Fisher said.

The first EIU Hunger Challenge activity is “Fight Hunger at Sonic,” which takes place at the Mattoon Sonic from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

When participating in “Fight Hunger at Sonic,” students can order food at Sonic that will be delivered by volunteers.

All tips made to the workers will be donated to the local food pantry.

Other events coming up include the “Paper Plate Advocacy” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 5 in the Bridge Lounge of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

“All you have to do is take two minutes to write a note on a plate, and every plate counts for $1 donation,” Fisher said. “We can get $500 just by sharing what’s on our minds.”

Fisher said the food collection goal for the month has been increased from 3,000 to 5,000 canned-food goods.

Michael Gillespie, an assistant sociology professor who is working with Fisher to ensure the success of the Hunger Challenge, said the challenge takes place during November because society tends to view November as a month of feasting.

“It’s important to remember that while we have this abundance around us, there’s a lot of people who don’t have that,” he said.

Gillespie will be leading a discussion and film viewing on the film “Food Stamped” at 7 p.m. on Nov. 6.

“It’ll be a documentary about one person and her partner’s journey in living on a food stamp budget,” he said. “It’ll be sort of a kickoff for the rest of the month.”

He said students should be interested in this topic because it is an issue that affects them.

“There is a large population of students and community members that do not know where their next meal is coming from,” he said.

Fisher said the EIU Hunger Challenge can make a big difference in the Charleston community.

“The Hunger Challenge has really allowed us to start evaluating what our goals are,” Fisher said. “We need to know what we can do to help our neighbors.”

One of the goals Fisher said she has for the community is to not accept the conditions of hunger and poverty.

“Everything is open for change, and we have to challenge ourselves to change it,” she said. “Our goal as volunteers is to challenge unacceptable limitations.”

Robyn Dexter can be reached at 581-2812 or redexter@eiu.edu.