Panelists ask people to get involved
Monday night CU held its annual poverty awareness forum, sponsored by a collaboration of student groups on campus.
Along with a speaker panel, the event included volunteer information about groups on campus including Copirg, Volunteer Clearing House and Habitat for Humanity.
Want to get involved?
Carriage House
PO Box 626, Boulder, CO, CO 80306
303 442 8300
Flatirons Habitat
2540 Frontier Ave
Boulder CO 80301
303.447.3787
info@flatironshabitat.org
Stand up for Kids Boulder
205 Broadway St
Boulder, CO 80302
(720) 406-1818
Volunteer Clearing House
UMC 358, UCB 207
Boulder CO, 80309
Phone: 303-492-7632 , Fax: 303-735-4433
CoPIRG Student Chapters
1536 Wynkoop Street, Suite 100
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 573-7474
info@copirgstudents.org
The speaker panel had one strong message for students — they should care about what is going on in the world.
“We give kids hope, the word hope is huge,” Eileen Bloom said about the Stand Up for Kids mission.
The panel was composed of a representative for Boulder children’s homeless shelter, Stand Up for Kids’ Eileen Bloom, Flatirons Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Paul Casey, CU Environmental law professor Maxine Burkett and Executive Director of the Boulder Carriage House, Joy Eckstine.
Each person explained ways for CU students to get involved in the community, and to make a difference in the world of poverty and homelessness.
“People can always participate, even in small ways,” Eckstine said. “Through the Carriage House, people who are homeless can come and not feel like they are passive recipients of help. Our goal is to make them feel valued, connected and noticed.”
To the speakers, community is a strong word, and the speakers put an emphasis on its meaning.
“Powerlessness equals poverty, it holds people in captivity,” Casey said. “Being able to become a part of a community gives a feeling of importance to the homeless.”
Volunteer opportunities, life experiences and solutions to the ongoing poverty problem were put into perspective by Burkett in terms of what students can do.
“Go to law school,” Burkett said jokingly. “Seriously though, consider careers that will insert yourself in environmental studies, organize the campus and vote.”
The panelists advised students to “pop the Boulder bubble,” and look beyond the campus community.
“Boulder is known for being so liberal and accepting, yet on Pearl Street all the yuppies complain because they don’t like seeing homeless people,” said a student representative for the Volunteer Clearing House.
The panelists hope that changes can be made in the future to help solve the homeless issues in Boulder.
“Homeless people are stereotyped,” Eckstine said. “No one wants to look like they are homeless or like they have less than anyone, so the goal is to make them feel more than just a recipient, the goal is to help.”
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Clare Lane at clane@thecampuspress.com.
