Ohio State’s Social Justice Cohort invites students to attend a dinner supporting the Mid-Ohio Foodbank tonight at the Ohio Union.
Dinner for a Difference, which will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Great Hall Meeting Rooms 1 and 2, is part of the Social Justice Cohort’s annual service event. Last year, the organization, which is a student group within the Multicultural Center, planned a dinner for women at the domestic violence shelter, Choices.
To be admitted to the dinner, the group asks that each person bring in one canned food item. Each guest will then be assigned a random income of low, medium or high to help guests experience the different levels of hunger that exist in society.
“The goal of the event is to educate individuals and obtain donations for the Foodbank,” said Rachel Gibson, a graduate administrative associate for the Multicultural Center and an organizer of the event.
“We want attendees to walk away with more of an understanding.”
Although people will be assigned to different income levels, Gibson promises that everyone in attendance will be well-fed.
“Individuals who are assigned to a lower income group will have the chance to eat more later in the program,” she said.
To help promote the event, the Social Justice Cohort teamed with OSU’s PRactice organization, a group within the Public Relations Student Society of America. PRactice took the group on as a client, promoting Dinner for a Difference across campus. They helped develop fliers, set up information booths at the RPAC and sold raffle tickets on the Oval.
“They were a huge help in coordinating the program,” Gibson said.
The Multicultural Center’s Diversity Leadership Transcript Program, which includes the Social Justice Cohort, helped fund the dinner.
The program, which is sponsored by Nationwide Insurance, encourages students to be active in service events and develop leadership skills in diversity.
Throughout the event, the organizers will focus on the prevalence of hunger and create an interactive environment for guests. One topic that will be discussed is USx8, a campaign to raise money for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. The plan emphasizes that when an individual donates $1 to the organization, they are really donating $8 worth of groceries.
“It’s shocking how many individuals use the Mid-Ohio Foodbank,” Gibson said. “Hunger is a real issue in our community.”
Several prizes and awards will also be offered throughout the dinner.
The individual or organization that brings in the most canned foods will win an OSU cookie basket from Cheryl & Co. Gift cards to Mad Mex and Betty’s Fine Food & Spirits in the Short North will also be raffled off to guests.
The event is open to all.
