‘A Light to the Nations’: Catholic Relief Services Partners with Catholic Colleges and Universities

As we enter the Advent season, we are reminded of our continual call to direct our hearts and minds to the coming of Jesus Christ. As we do so, we reflect on his eternal sacrifice and his life on earth. Christ came to us a “light to the nations” and was a true example of how to give yourself to those in need. As Catholics we are called to do the same, for “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God” (Isaiah 21:1-2).

For Catholic colleges and universities, partnering with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) offers the opportunity to lead by example and follow Christ’s example to be a light in the world. CRS uses the message of Jesus to defend the dignity of all human life through charity, justice, and living out Catholic Social Teaching. CRS offers these university and college partnerships as a way of “joining in solidarity with the global poor through education, prayer, and action.” Campuses have the opportunity to partner with CRS in three ways: through CRS Student Ambassadors, CRS faculty learning commons, and as a CRS Global Campus.

Villanova University is using their partnership with CRS through the Student Ambassadors program to advance its mission of awareness and solidarity for those in need. According to CRS, student ambassadors “are trained by CRS to mobilize their peers and bring to life the mission of solidarity, [which then] allows for chapters to connect and build across the nation.” At Villanova, student ambassadors are bringing awareness to their peers of modern-day slavery. In honor of Human Trafficking Awareness Day, student ambassadors set up a table in a popular campus building in order to engage as many students as possible. Ambassadors gave students blue duct-taped ribbons to wear throughout the week in order to spark questions and discussion among peers.

The table also provided pamphlets with information on quick ways to help human trafficking victims. These tips ranged from how to identify possible victims to how to become a conscientious and informed consumer. Human Trafficking Awareness Day concluded with a screening of the documentary “Indifference is Not an Option.” According to CRS, the film “chronicles the lives of three escaped slaves spanning three countries and calls people to fight and stop hiding behind the excuse of ignorance.” The screening ended with the audience signing 80 advocacy letters. “These letters urged senators and representatives to pass the Supply Chain Transparency Act, which would help combat forced labor by forcing companies to reveal steps in their supply chain,” noted CRS.

The Catholic University of America partnered with Catholic Relief Services to host CRS Iraq director Hani El Mahdi. From left to right: Hani El Mahdi; CRS Student Ambassador Mary Lastowka; CUA associate professor Dr. Maryann Cusimano Love; and CRS University Outreach representative Mary Beth Iduh.

Professors at The Catholic University of America are using resources provided by CRS Faculty Learning Commons to put a human face on issues learned in the classroom. CRS explains how faculty learning commons “provides opportunities for faculty members and other academic leaders to enrich student learning experiences by tapping into CRS’s expertise in global development and humanitarian response through the world.”

Professor Maryann Cusimano Love leverages CUA’s partnership with CRS in her politics courses by using the CRS faculty learning commons materials as required readings that deal with issues such as war and peace, refugees, global poverty, climate change, human trafficking, fair trade, and moral responsibilities to global challenges. Students then have a chance to answer written questions, she explains, and use the materials as an “example of how a general topic discussed in class manifests in a specific circumstance.” She also invites students to use CRS materials for projects and gives them the “opportunity to partner with CRS to bring in a speaker to campus or engage with CRS programming.” Love recalled how one student group chose to look at the issues faced by Iraqi refugees and invited Hani El Mahdi, director of CRS Iraq, to speak at CUA.

Dante Orlandini, senior politics major at CUA, recalls that “through the implementation of studies, documentation, and techniques, Dr. Love effectively incorporated Catholic Relief Services’ mission into our Global Issues course at Catholic, which provided me with valuable lessons.” Dr. Love explains that by partnering with CRS, “students are taken out of their comfort zone and grapple with the real world consequences of global trends, and reflect on whether and how they are contributing to global problems or to global solutions.”

Love notes that “CUA, with its Washington, DC, location, is blessed to live and work at the intersection of Church and state. CRS works on this same intersection, bringing our values of faith to the global problems of the world.”

As a Catholic Relief Services Global Campus, Marquette University students participate in the Student Ambassador Program in order “to increase student awareness of global poverty and how CRS works to address these issues.”

The final way that campuses partner with CRS is by becoming a global campus. Through this institutional partnership, CRS engages with the campus through all three core constituencies: students, faculty, and administration, with the support of campus ministry and social justice staff. As a global campus, the college or university participates in both the Student Ambassador Program and the Faculty Learning Commons Program and establishes an interdisciplinary CRS advisory group. Sherri Walker, the program coordinator at Marquette’s Center for Peacemaking, explains that “as a global campus, Marquette University contributes to and also learns from CRS’s work in peace building” by using CRS’s work and examples as a way to “help form men and women who can be instruments of peace building and champions of a more equitable world.”

Because Marquette is a CRS Global Campus, its faculty have the opportunity to engage with CRS by using “collaborative methods of teaching, learning, and research that connect Marquette classrooms with CRS’s world-class teaching resources and research that addresses world problems,” Walker adds. For instance, Marquette faculty and administrators participated in the Ghana Faculty Enrichment Program. Walker notes that this program “served as a pilot project aimed at creating a model for partnering with the CRS country program in Ghana, as well as local universities. This partnership was expected to lead to joint research programs and closer collaboration between the in-country program staff, local university professors, and U.S. professors.” During this immersion experience, participants “studied the integral human development framework that CRS uses to design its programming, and the country-specific academic research that leads to development programming decisions.”

Walker explains that as a Catholic institution, Marquette recognizes that “God’s love is not restricted to a select few, but is extended to all.” From this perspective, “students from all faith traditions understands CRS’s engagement with populations where the majority are not Catholic.”

The month of December is the perfect time to learn about how Catholic colleges and universities are seeking to empower others to fight for peace and justice throughout the nation and world. By partnering with CRS in a variety of ways, institutions are given the opportunity to enrich the classroom experience and foster a community willing and ready to serve

Serving the Local Community: Catholic Colleges and Universities Partner with CCHD

Inspired by their mission, Catholic colleges and universities serve their local communities in many ways, including building partnerships to work for the common good. Since 2010, ACCU member institutions have partnered with community organizations funded by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) to collaborate on initiatives that help people in their local communities who are living in poverty. These organizations are dedicated to empowering people to create change in their local community through solidarity and education. Saint Joseph’s University, the University of Dallas, and Marquette University are just a few of the institutions addressing local issues of poverty through these partnerships, providing a concrete way for students to live out the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

At Saint Joseph’s University, students have the opportunity to work with Urban Tree Connection, a non-profit organization funded by CCHD that works with people living in Philadelphia’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods to develop community-based greening and gardening projects. Urban Tree Connection (UTC) empowers members of the local community by training people in farming and other agricultural skills and making fresh produce more widely available. Their projects are created on vacant land to create safe and functional spaces that promote positive human interactions. Saint Joseph’s University’s Sustainability Committee and Institute for Environmental Stewardship work with UTC to provide access to the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program at UTC to faculty, staff, administrators, and students at the university. Subscribers to the CSA receive vegetables from UTC’s urban farms, supporting their efforts to transform abandoned lots into community gardens.

In addition to promoting the CSA program, students at SJU are also encouraged to work with UTC in their community gardens through the Philadelphia Service Immersion Program and the Magis Program. The Philadelphia Service Immersion Program is an optional early move-in experience for first-year students. This four-day program introduces incoming freshmen to the Jesuit values of social justice, service to those on the margin, moral discernment, and intellectual inquiry through community service learning. This past fall, six students volunteered with UTC through the program. Each evening, the students reflected on what they learned and experienced that day in a small group discussion led by incoming sophomores. Another opportunity available to connect students to UTC is the Magis Program, a semester-long service and social justice program for first-year students. Students meet weekly in small groups for community service, social justice education, and reflection. UTC is one of the sites where students can serve for the semester as part of the Magis Program.

Like St. Joseph’s, other Catholic campuses are finding that partnerships with CCHD-funded groups provide mutual benefits for all the partners. For example, the University of Dallas partnered with the local diocesan CCHD staff to educate students about the reality of poverty in the United States. Working with students and staff, together they created the Journey to Justice Retreat (J2J) to teach students about the issue of poverty in the local area and throughout the country. Using resources from CCHD such as Poverty USA, participants learned about the effects of poverty on people all over the country.

The J2J Retreat featured a focus on the CCHD-funded group Texas Tenant Union (TTU). TTU is a community organizing group dedicated to securing more and higher quality low-income housing by advocating for legislation, providing free legal counsel for low-income tenants, and offering rights education and counseling for tenants. Former diocesan CCHD intern Colleen McInerney, an alumna of the University of Dallas, says the retreat showed students the importance of CCHD in that TTU “wouldn’t have been able to do nearly as much without the CCHD resources” available to it, which inspired many students to get involved with anti-poverty organizations. The retreat was well-received and students hope that the university will be able to host the retreat again in the future.

In addition to hosting service opportunities and working together on educational programming, Catholic colleges and universities can partner with CCHD-funded organizations to learn more about advocacy within the nation’s political system. Marquette University offers students a way to become involved in advocacy through courses that incorporate service learning and through an internship. Project Return assists men and women who have experienced incarceration in making a positive reentry to the community. Each academic year, students work at Project Return for ten hours a week , helping clients find jobs and housing, work through personal issues, and celebrate accomplishments. They learn about the process of reentry by visiting a prison, meeting parole officers, and witnessing a reentry court run by a federal judge. In addition to learning more about the issue, students most recently advocated with community leaders, canvassed neighborhoods on issues surrounding criminal justice reform, and organized a community mental health day.

Students rehabbing a house for Project Return to use for transitional housing.

The project also enables Marquette student interns to work with a mentor on a variety of tasks and to incorporate their own academic interests into the internship. One student intern during the past year worked to launch a mental health initiative to accommodate clients in need of psychological services. Ed de St. Aubin, Ph.D., the director of the internship program, commented, “The social justice mission of our Jesuit university is completely aligned with the mission of Project Return.” De St. Aubin noticed how the experience opened students up to more growth than a classroom could have afforded, exposing them to numerous human factors connected to criminal justice reform, such as race relations, ethnic disparities, and faith development. Recently, de St. Aubin, as well as interns Max Hughes-Zahner and Alex Krouth, were guests on RiverWest Radio Milwaukee’s show, Expo: Ex-Prisoners Organizing. Hughes-Zahner, a junior at Marquette, noted on the show that this internship “was very important for me to experience it from that side because previous to that I had really only experienced classroom learning about incarceration and prison.”

Saint Joseph’s University, the University of Dallas, and Marquette University are working with local organizations to create community-based solutions to issues of poverty and inequality. Their partnerships with CCHD-funded groups enable them to live the values of Catholic Social Teaching and have a visible effect on the surrounding neighborhoods. Students are able to work alongside those living the issues they are working to resolve, giving them an experience of solidarity. Through a partnership with an organization funded by CCHD, Catholic universities make a difference in their communities and give students experience in what it means to have a faith that does justice.

Camilla MacKenzie is an undergraduate student at The Catholic University of America and the Peace and Justice Intern at the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.

Catholic Colleges Host Events in Solidarity with Immigrants

Twelve Catholic colleges and universities hosted events in solidarity with immigrant brothers and sisters on January 19, as a part of the Ignatian Solidarity Network‘s call to prayer, Prayers of Light.

Saint Peter’s University hosted a prayer service featuring a student choir and students sharing their experience of being undocumented. The service ended with an opportunity to contact Congress on behalf of humane immigration policies.

Students at Loyola University Maryland held a walking candlelight vigil during the busy lunch hour at the campus student center.

Other colleges and universities that held events for the day of prayer include: Fairfield University, Xavier University, John Carroll University, Canisius College, Loyola University of Chicago, Marquette University, Saint Louis University, Gonzaga University, University of San Francisco, and Spring Hill College.

The purpose of the call to prayer was to illuminate, through solidarity and action, the dignity of our immigrant brothers and sisters, and the value of each person’s contribution to our country.  To see prayers and resources related to the event, visit the Ignatian Solidarity Network website.

How are you practicing solidarity on your campus? Share your story with us! Email Lexie Bradley.

Peace and Justice in ACCU’s Winter Newsletter

ACCU recently released the winter edition of Update, our quarterly newsletter. Read Update in full here. Peace and Justice highlights include:

Justice Dept. Grants Help Combat Injustice: Nine ACCU member institutions have received a boost to their efforts to combat violence against women with grants from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women. Among the recipients of grants to reduce sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on campus are Saint Leo University, Benedictine University (IL), Mercy College of Health Sciences, Loyola University Maryland, Siena Heights University, Saint Anselm College, Felician University, Georgian Court University, and the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

Alverno Athletes Take Charity Title: Student athletes at Alverno College collected 13,235 items and donations for “Cans Across the Conference,” an annual food drive, marking the seventh straight year Alverno has collected the most items in the competition.

College of St. Joseph Students Serve Community: Students at the College of St. Joseph are working on a large-scale service project that involves the renovation of three apartments used by the county’s POISE (Parenting on our Own In a Safe Environment) program for pregnant and parenting youth ages 16-22, who are currently or will soon be homeless.

La Roche Explores Designing with Purpose: La Roche College’s Interior Design Advisory Board hosted a presentation on “Inspiring Lives with Design: Influencing Interiors through Purpose.” The presentation, given by Lisa Robison, founder of the nonprofit Dwell with Dignity, focused on bringing inspirational design to those experiencing poverty and homelessness.

Marquette and USD Earn Civic Engagement Awards: Marquette University and University of San Diego were chosen among five institutions nationally to receive the 2016 Washington Center Higher Education Civic Engagement Awards.

To subscribe to  Update, please email Paula Moore.

 

 

Leaders in Catholic Higher Education Contribute to Vatican Conference on Nonviolence and Just Peace

Amidst a period of devastating violence throughout the world, people of faith are called to reflect, discern,and act. Following this call, in spring 2016, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Pax Christi International, and other international organizations held a conference on “Nonviolence and Just Peace: Contributing to the Catholic Understanding of and Commitment to Nonviolence” in Rome. The conference, attended by lay people, theologians, and consecrated individuals from all over the world, explored the call of the Church to renew its commitment to “take a clear stand for active nonviolence and against all forms of violence”.

Among the the five scholarly works chosen to serve as background papers for the conference, three were written by professors of Catholic higher education. These papers and their authors include:

• “Official Catholic Social Thought on Gospel Nonviolence,” by Dr. Lisa Sowle Cahill, Boston College
• “Our Nonviolence Tradition,” by Dr. Ken Butigan, DePaul University and Pace e Bene; Fr. John Dear, Campaign Nonviolence
• “Contemporary Scriptural Exegesis Ethics on Jesus’ Nonviolence,” by Dr. Terrence Rynne, Marquette University

The conference’s closing statement urges to be attentive to the signs of the times, and “to invoke, pray over, teach and take action” in response to our current age of violence.

How does your college or university work towards building a culture of peace? Let us know! 

Marquette University selected for the 2016 Higher Education Civic Engagement Award

Marquette University, in living its mission of “Be the Difference”, recently received the 2016 Higher Education Civic Engagement Award from The Washington Center. The Higher Education Civic Engagement Award is awarded to a four year institution that participates in projects that address public concerns on the local or global level. Out of 100 nominations, Marquette was one of five universities selected for the award. Marquette was honored for its Near West Side Partners initiative and many other partnerships that help the local Milwaukee community. The Near West Side Partners initiative is a local project that addresses neighborhood challenges while promoting the positive events going on in Milwaukee’s near west side.  The initiative was founded in 2014 by Marquette University, Harley Davidson, Miller Coors, Aurora Healthcare, and Potawatomi Business Development Corporation.

“As a Catholic and Jesuit institution, an important aspect of our mission is to make a significant impact in our community. This award signifies that we are making strides toward fulfilling that mission,” said Marquette President, Michael R. Lovell.

To learn more about Marquette University and the Higher Education Civic Engagement Award, please visit Marquette’s website.

Laudato Si’ Makes an Impact in Jesuit Higher Education

The upcoming one-year anniversary of the release of Laudato Si’ has inspired reflection on the impacts it has had on Catholics around the world, especially institutions of Catholic higher education. In the April 2016 issue of Connections, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities’ (AJCU) monthly  newsletter, several institutions were featured as having responded to the encyclical with fervor:

• Laudato Si’ was a “Game-Changer” for Creighton University, where professors of theology, biology, environmental science, cultural and social studies, and communication studies, and sustainability studies have experienced renewed interest and and energy in their studies and coursework.
• Gonzaga University has taken a “Multidisciplinary Approach” to responding to the encyclical with “deep academic engagement around Catholic social teaching,” encyclical reading groups, inter-departmental panel discussions, lectures, documentary film screenings, and a renewed commitment to sustainability on campus.
• Food justice and social justice have been major themes for Loyola University Chicago‘s response to Laudato Si’, as well as “eco-education” through conferences focused on poverty and climate justice, lectures, and assisting in the development of a new free online environmental textbook.
• Marquette University has made a renewed commitment to “Going Green” through participating in research at the Global Water Center in Milwaukee, the hiring of the University’s first sustainability coordinator, assisting in the development of the above-mentioned textbook, the LEED certification of two campus buildings, and the focusing of Mission Week on care for creation and sustainability.
• A reflection on the call to promote and fight for environmental justice, as inspired by Laudato Si’, written by Clint J. Springer,  associate professor of biology at St. Joseph’s University.
• Santa Clara University has taken the encyclical as a “Charter Document” for its “commitment to climate justice,” as evidenced by the visit of Peter Cardinal Turkson for a conference on climate change, reading groups, the visit of Carolyn Woo of Catholic Relief Services, academic integration of the encyclical, Ignatian reflection, and more.

These institutions of Jesuit higher education are just a few examples of the Catholic response to Laudato Si’.   How has your college or university responded to Laudato Si’? Let us know! 

Fordham University to Host Catholic Social Teaching Conference

This week, Fordham University will host a conference titled, “Building Good Economies: An Interdisciplinary Conference Celebrating Catholic Social Teaching at 125.” In a convergence of higher education scholars, prominent experts in Catholic Social Teaching, and more, the conference will explore themes of economic justice, environmental justice, public health, and the 2016 presidential race.

Many speakers from Catholic higher education will present, including:

• Professor Juliet Schor of Boston College, who will be giving a talk titled, “Toward a New Economy: Time, Creativity and Community”.
• Professor Christiana Peppard  of Fordham University will be joining a panel on “Laudato Si, Ecology, and Sustainable Business” along with Carolyn Woo, President and CEO of Catholic Relief Services.
• Professors Maureen O’Connell of LaSalle University, John Carr of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University, Rev. Bryan Massingale of Marquette University, and Gregory Acevedo of the Fordham Graduate School of Social Service will comprise a panel titled, “Economy, Ecology, & Exclusion in an Election Year”.

Additionally, the opening panel will feature Hernando de Soto, President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy in Lima, Peru. Responses will be given by Daniel Finn of Saint John’s University (MN) and Carolyn Woo.

The conference will take place Wednesday, April 20 to Friday, April 22, 2016 at the Fordham University Lincoln Center campus. Plenary sessions are free and open to the public. Register now to reserve a seat!

How does your college or university engage in dialogue on Catholic Social Teaching? Let us know! 

Catholic Higher Education Programs on Peace and Justice

Did you know that a number of Catholic higher education institutions feature degree programs focused on peacebuilding and peace studies? If you’re interested in an academic approach to social issues, then take a look at what various Catholic colleges and universities have to offer you!

Boston College (Certificate)​

Boston College’s Center for Human Rights and International Justice addresses the increasingly interdisciplinary needs of human rights work with students from graduate and professional programs across the university. The Center offers an interdisciplinary Certificate Program in Human Rights and International Justice, with students drawn from MA and PhD programs in sociology, psychology, political science, economics, philosophy, and theology, and from post-graduate professional programs in education, law, social work, and others. Through multidisciplinary training programs, applied research, and the interaction of scholars with practitioners, the Center aims to nurture a new generation of scholars and practitioners in the United States and abroad who draw upon the strengths of many disciplines, and the wisdom of rigorous ethical training, in the attainment of human rights and international justice.

 

The Catholic University of America (​M.A., Ph.D.)

The Center for Social Development offers a program in conjunction with the Religion and Culture academic area emphasizing analysis of the ways that religious expressions have transformed cultures and have been transformed by them.  Both the M.A. and Ph.D. are offered.  The area’s programs utilize the methods of the social sciences and humanities in the study of religion, emphasizing the human and cultural dimensions of religious life. These methods may include anthropology, sociology, psychology, literary theory, history, phenomenology, ritual studies, and others.

Emmanuel College​ (B.A. majors, minor)​

The Political Science and International Studies department offers several majors designed to prepare students for work and life in an increasingly inter-connected world. International Studies provides a broad-based foundation in world history, culture, politics, and economics. The major is well-suited to students interested in a career in such rapidly growing sectors as international business, law, media, and governmental and non-governmental organizations concerned with diplomacy, policy making, public health, peace, relief operations, immigration, and the environment. Concentrations within the major include diplomacy & security and sustainability & global justice. An interdisciplinary Peace Studies minor, drawing on theology, philosophy, sociology, history, and political science, is also offered.

Georgetown University​ (B.A. certificate, M.A.)​

The two-year M.A. in Conflict Resolution is an intensive, theoretically- and practically-oriented, multidisciplinary degree. It is housed in the Government Department, with core courses offered also in the Department of Psychology and the McDonough School of Business.  Elective courses may be selected from departments across campus, including courses in dispute resolution offered at the Georgetown University Law Center.  Students can also participate in activities of the Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs. Georgetown also has an undergraduate Program on Justice and Peace, with a suggested concentration in Catholic Social Teaching. The School of Foreign Service in collaboration with the Berkeley Center now offers the Religion, Ethics, and World Affairs certificate program in which undergraduate students can explore the faith-related dimension of global issues.

Marquette University (B.A. major, minors)​

Marquette offers an interdisciplinary major in peace studies and minors in peace studies and in justice and peace.  Courses focusing on conceptualizing justice and peace, bridging social communities, promoting social and economic justice, and resolving violent conflict.

University of Dayton (B.A. major)​

Through the International Studies major, a Peace and Global Security concentration is offered at the undergraduate level. International Studies is a multidisciplinary major designed to meet the needs of students seeking the broadly based international perspective required for successful careers in education, government, international business, law, national and homeland security, humanitarian relief, and social entrepreneurship. The curriculum includes a core of required courses, a concentration, a foreign language requirement, an international and/or cross-cultural experiential component, and a senior capstone seminar. The experiential component may be satisfied through study abroad, internship, language immersion, service, or work experience.

University of Notre Dame (Fellowship; ​B.A. major, minor; M.A.; Ph.D.)​

Beginning in Fall 2017, Notre Dame’s new Keough School of Global Affairs will offer International Peace Studies as an important feature of the new Master’s in Global Affairs.The Kroc Institute’s Ph.D. program trains scholars in interdisciplinary peace research and history, political science, psychology, sociology or theology.  Students apply for admission in one of these five areas.  Graduates are prepared for research and teaching positions that contribute to solving the global challenges of violent conflict and peace.The Kroc Institute also has an undergraduate program in peace studies, and the University of Notre Dame has a program in Catholic Social Tradition.

University of San Diego (B.A. minor, one- and two-year M.A. programs)​

The Master of Arts in Peace and Justice Studies is an interdisciplinary program emphasizing peace as human development. The goals of the program are: 1) to produce graduates who are capable of relating disciplinary and cross-disciplinary theories of peace and justice to real world problem-solving involving regional and international conflict; 2) to foster scholarly agendas that examine the dynamics of justice and peacebuilding; and, 3) to facilitate faculty and student interaction and development across disciplines and academic units at USD, along with outreach to the community and the larger society. The Program takes full advantage of the School of Peace Studies’ two institutes: the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice and the Trans-Border Institute.  USD also has an undergraduate minor in peace and justice.

University of St. Thomas (MN) (B.A. major, minor)​

The Justice and Peace Studies major offers a revised curriculum with three concentrations, offering skill sets for a variety of career tracks, and a minor, which has been revised as well.  The three concentrations are Leadership for Social Justice, Conflict Transformation, and Public Policy Analysis & Advocacy.

Does your college or university offer a program on peace and justice? Let us know! 

Campus Kitchens Project: Combating Hunger One Campus at a Time

Merrimack College students pose at their Campus Kitchen.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

For Catholics, this phrase has been uttered countless times in the midst of prayer. And yet it rarely sparks a lengthy thought process about actual food. For many people, daily bread is a given, the next meal either waiting at home or picked up at a local restaurant or grocery store. But a vast number of others do worry about where their next meal will come from, both globally as well as here in the United States. The Campus Kitchens Project is one organization that is combating this problem on college campuses throughout the country.

Hunger and Catholic Social Teaching
Hunger and food security are issues that are closely tied to Catholic Social Teaching and its grounding principle: the dignity of every human life.  As Catholic Relief Services’ campaign, Catholics Confront Global Poverty states, “The right to life for all persons, based on their identity as precious children of God, means that all people have basic rights to those things that are necessary for them to live and thrive, including the right to food.”

While the Church teaches that access to food is a fundamental right for all, statistics show that many families in the United States struggle with hunger. According to the Bread for the World Institute’s 2014 Hunger Report, the most recent data show that in 2012, nearly 50 million people in the United States resided in households that struggled to put adequate food on the table and approximately 50 percent of children living in the United States will live in a household that relies on government assistance for food by the time they are eighteen. It is evident that the right to food is being treated as a privilege in this country, and a privilege from which many are excluded.

Food justice is also intimately related to care for the environment, as it is a form of natural resource that we, as stewards of creation, are called to respect and share with all. Wasting food is just as egregious as wasting other natural resources, such as energy and water. That is why it is staggering to consider how much food is wasted every day while simultaneously one in six Americans don’t know where their next meal will come from.  An estimated 40 percent of food in the United States is wasted every year, which costs Americans more than $165 billion annually and accounts for 25 percent of national methane emissions.

The Campus Kitchens Project (CKP) is helping build a connection between food that is wasted and people who do not have enough to eat. The CKP uses kitchen facilities and student volunteers on college and university campuses to accept, store, repackage, and deliver food to community partners that would normally be thrown away. Students participate in every part of the process, from collecting the food to making the meals, and even dining with those who they serve. CKP is currently at 45 campuses around the country, five of which are ACCU members: Gonzaga University, Marquette University, Saint Louis University, Saint Peter’s University, and Walsh University. Merrimack University will be the sixth ACCU member to start a Campus Kitchen with the launch of their project this fall.

On its website, the CKP defines its mission by three goals: “to strengthen bodies by using existing resources to meet hunger and nutritional needs of our community, to empower minds by providing leadership and service learning opportunities to students,… and to build communities by fostering a new generation of community-minded adults.” At Gonzaga University, this mission has proved to be successful. The campus chapter accepts food from several sources, including the Second Harvest Food Bank and on-campus dining halls, to provide nutritious meals for those who lack food security in the Spokane community. The website of the Gonzaga chapter tracks its effectiveness since beginning in 2005: The effort has recovered 98,362 pounds of food, served 92,297 meals, and logged a collective 15,294 hours.

The Campus Kitchens Project and Catholic Colleges and Universities
The goals of Campus Kitchens complement the social justice mission of Catholic colleges and universities. Emily Paulsen, Campus Kitchens’ representative at Gonzaga University, says that “the [university’s] notion of living a life for others fits right in with the work we do.” CKP’s model helps students live out the tenants of Catholic Social Teaching specific to hunger and food security in practical, transformative ways that benefit the students as much as those who receive a meal. Paulson describes how she has seen CKP affect the students who volunteer with the organization: “I have seen the students actually change their majors to degrees in social work because of their participation with the Campus Kitchen. We run a community dinner every Thursday night in downtown Spokane…The impact of students engaging with clients at the dinner is huge.”

Campus Kitchens’ congruence with the Catholic mission was an important factor to the Merrimack College students who brought the project to their campus, as well. Amy Byrne, one of the students instrumental in the process, describes how Campus Kitchens relates to her school’s Catholic identity: “The Catholic identity at Merrimack is focused on engaging our community through acts of compassion and education. Our Campus Kitchen is a natural extension of our values because it connects so many different partners in our community, and it addresses a number of social justice issues along the way.”

For the Merrimack College students involved in bringing CKP to their campus, the national office offered many resources that eased the process. One example is the $5,000 grant they received after winning an online contest offered by Campus Kitchens. These grants are offered several times throughout the year to help eliminate financial barriers that may arise in starting a school chapter. The Campus Kitchens Project also provides a Campus Kitchens Planner, an online tool that walks users step by step through the process and makes it easy to ask CKP staff for additional guidance. Byrne described how helpful the staff at CKP was, saying, “The head staff of the Campus Kitchens Project organization is so supportive and resourceful. They will do whatever they can to help you overcome obstacles along the way.”

The Campus Kitchens Project is one way of promoting the mission of Catholic higher education. It combats the issue of hunger through environmentally sustainable practices while inspiring leadership and solidarity in students.  As Pope Francis said in his homily at the opening Mass of the Caritas Internationalis General Assembly in Rome on May 12, “We ought to set the table for all, and ask that there be a table for all.” The Campus Kitchens Project helps colleges and universities set the table for all in a sustainable, empowering way.

Meals prepared by students at Saint Louis University’s Campus Kitchen.

Catherine Coffey is a senior at Boston College and was a Peace and Justice Intern at the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities in summer 2015. 

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Want to start a Campus Kitchen Project chapter at your college or university? Not sure where to begin? Be sure to catch one of the remaining Fall 2015 information sessions in November and December!  More information about how to start a Campus Kitchens chapter at your school, including grant opportunities, can be found on the website, campuskitchens.org.