The mind does not often associate writing and hunger, but Athens has paired the two for 15 years with its annual “Writer’s Harvest.”
The Southeastern Ohio Food Bank, located in Logan, sponsored the event, which was put on by the Ohio University English Department in the Walter Hall Rotunda on Tuesday night.
This year the benefit for local food pantries hosted three speakers from the English Department, including Joan Connor, a professor of creative writing, Kristen LeMay, an instructor, and Jill Rosser, a professor of creative writing: poetry.
The Food Bank nearly met its goal of raising $1,000 to buy food for those in need, said Chris MacNeal, the resource coordinator for the Food Bank. The event’s suggested entry rate was $5, though some donated more than that amount.
“All of the money from today’s event will go directly into buying food for the pantries,” MacNeal said.
All three speakers have won awards for their literary works, as well as being published in magazines, newspapers and other print media outlets.
Turnout for the event was as expected, MacNeal said, with about 45 people in attendance.
Each woman took the stage and read from their respective works. These included a tale about marrying a yeti, analyzing the etymology of mood and geese blocking the only way out of the Polaris Fashion Place in Columbus.
Money was not the single goal of the night, MacNeal said. The Food Bank looks at the event as more of a benefit to help raise awareness about the pressing issue of hunger in America, he added.
In 2011, 50.1 million American families lived in a household that classified as having food insecurity, according to Feeding America’s website, a national non-profit organization that supports local food banks.
The World Health Organization defines food security as “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life,” according to the organization’s website.
The money raised will be put toward helping volunteers and employees alike package the food that the pantry collects from donations, MacNeal said.
The professors encouraged the audience to familiarize themselves with food insecurity in Southeastern Ohio, tying into the Food Bank’s message that there is always more that can be done to help those who are hungry.
mk369312@ohiou.edu
@Mikaylalala13
