The person sitting next to you every day in class might be eating steak every night, or maybe that person is barely making enough to afford a meal each day.

It’s impossible to know the story of every individual around you, but on Thursday, Nov. 17, Valencia Volunteers are aiming to raise their fellow students’ awareness about the issue of hunger that could affect any one of us.

All students are invited to join Valencia’s annual Hunger Banquet on East Campus. It will be hosted by Valencia Volunteers in conjunction with the Honors in Action Committee from Phi Theta Kappa (Alpha Gamma Omega Chapter) and held in the orientation room, Building 5, room 112 from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Although the topic of hunger can be a sensitive subject for many, Anilia Joseph, Valencia Volunteers’ Student Coordinator, stated— “It is important to help in anyway you can to raise awareness for hunger and the homeless.”

Attending this event gives students an opportunity in participating in awareness. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food security as— “…The available access, at all times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members.”

The USDA declared that in 2015, 12.7 percent of American households possessed low food security. However, their statistics showed that households with children were approximately 4 percent higher at 16.6 percent.

“It is important for students to learn about food insecurity through the Hunger Banquet since this is a topic of major concern in our college,” said Bruno Basso, Vice President of Scholarship for the Alpha Omega Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and Campus Activity Board student leader.

“Personally, I want students to understand how much we take for granted on a daily basis,” added Basso.

Join your peers at Valencia’s East Campus for its annual Hunger Banquet. You may achieve a better understanding of the world around you and the people that inhabit it.