DC Students attend World Hunger Summit

Jerika Hennes, Rachel Flad, Kellie Raypole

DEFIANCE, Ohio –Three Defiance College students recently attended the World Hunger Summit at Auburn University. The conference brought together colleges and universities from across the nation that are interested in or are members of Universities Fighting World Hunger, a partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme.

Attending from Defiance College were Rachel Flad, Groveport, Ohio; Jerika Hennes, Washington Courthouse; and Kellie Raypole, Henrietta, Texas.

The trio attended the conference as part of the honors program in which this year’s theme is food security. The group has used videos, book groups and discussion to explore the theme. The students’ goal was to bring back ideas that they could use on campus and locally.

Ideas the group would like to implement include: donating money from “unused” meals to a local charity or food pantry; holding a canned food drive; and holding a “can bowl” contest with a rival college sports team to see which institution can collect the most canned food.

Universities Fighting World Hunger is aninternational initiative started in 2004 as a partnership between the United Nations World Food Programme and Auburn University.  Since that time, UFWH has expanded to a coalition of more than 70 universities that have joined the fight against hunger and malnutrition domestically and worldwide. Universities are needed for their staying power and the on-going contributions that can come from their teaching, research, and outreach efforts that are perpetuated from generation to generation. 

Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.

April 26, 2010