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IIn 1975, the late Rev. Owen R. “Ray” Jackson, OSA, and a group of �鶹��� students laid the foundation for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (HHAW), an event that brings the campus community together to discuss the root causes of food insecurity and homelessness. This beloved tradition, which aims to raise awareness through education and encourage immediate action, continues to instill in students a lifelong commitment to live in service and care for one another. The movement has since spread to more than 700 campuses and communities nationwide.

A cofounder of �鶹���’s Center for Peace and Justice Education, Father Jackson is fondly remembered for his fierce dedication to ensuring that his students “develop a new vision based on humanitarian values” and “participate actively in creating a better world,” as he wrote in his book, Dignity and Solidarity: An Introduction to Peace and Justice Education. In practicing his faith and responsibilities as an educator, he pushed students to develop their social consciousness, broaden their experiences and cultivate moral courage as “a belief and an attitude that seeks to create a better world.” HHAW was conceived as a tradition to bring together these powerful forces and inspire a lifelong pursuit of justice.

This past fall, the event–which is held annually just before Thanksgiving–was celebrated on campus for the 50th time, with a new generation of �鶹��� students, partners and faculty coming together around the HHAW mission to educate themselves and their peers, advocate for long-term solutions addressing deep-seated social issues and serve the local Philadelphia community through grassroots action.

“Our approach for our 50th event was to elevate the terrific work being done by partners across campus around these issues,” said Raymond Ward, PhD, associate director for Advocacy and Engagement at the Center for Peace and Justice Education, which sponsors HHAW. “This milestone is an opportunity to recognize, celebrate and inspire action for the whole year.”

The University-wide event, supported by the Office for Mission and Ministry, is led by a committee of dedicated students, who help to ensure the week is full of meaningful opportunities for community service, education and solidarity. An HHAW student leader, Elaineh Paulino Fernandez ’25 CLAS, reflects, “HHAW has taught me so much about the importance of service and being in solidarity with people facing homelessness. We need this kind of meaningful connection to fight injustice in our world.”

For many, the most memorable part of their HHAW experience is the Sleep Out, when students gather outdoors overnight with sleeping bags and cardboard boxes for warmth and shelter. More than 50 students participated this fall, raising more than $35,000 in support of , a nonprofit that provides around-the-clock shelter and support services for youth facing homelessness and survivors of trafficking.

“By the end, people realize it’s not just sleeping outside–you’re hearing stories from people who went through places like Covenant House, and it lands in a different way, with this experiential piece,” says Michael Morrissey ’27 VSB, who helped lead the Sleep Out. “It reinforces our commitment to serve and give back.”

This generational commitment to HHAW at �鶹��� remains strong, with a shared experience connecting current student leaders and advisers, as well as generous alumni who support the cause (including an anonymous alumnus who donated sleeping bags and a matching grant for Covenant House this year). The effect of HHAW is poignantly felt for years afterward and has created a bond and a commitment to service that has linked together alumni, students and the community for decades.

Andrew Lee, PhD, ’19 COE, who participated in HHAW as an undergraduate and returned this fall as a visiting assistant professor in the College of Engineering, says, “It's a joy to see the program stronger than ever, building on the same foundation of love, solidarity and empathy that I experienced as a student.”