The Facts: Park Scholars have teamed up with organizations in Raleigh to sponsor a food drive. However, in this food drive participants are able to create sculptures out of the donations raised.

Our Opinion: The issue of homelessness is very evident in Raleigh. As N.C. State students, we live in the heart of the issue—downtown Raleigh. Because of our proximity, we should reach out to our community to help those in need. With the Canned Creations food drive we are able to do just that.    

According to Raleigh and Wake County Homeless Service Agencies, approximately 78,000 people are estimated to be living in poverty in the Wake County area, many being close to homelessness. In Technician‘s article on the food drive Tuesday, Alyssa D’Addezio claimed “there are 1,100 people homeless every night in Raleigh alone.”

At NCSU, we are so close to this issue and have the potential to make a huge impact. The first step is participating in food drives and gaining the appropriate knowledge to spread awareness of the issue. We are able to do just that with the Park Scholars’ Canned Creations food drive this month.

The Raleigh Rescue organization names the most frequent factors contributing to homelessness as mental illness without necessary medical services, lack of affordable housing, substance abuse, low-paying jobs, domestic events, prisoner re-entry, unemployment and poverty. These factors can be seen on the streets of downtown Raleigh. However, many times this issue is ignored by students.

The common thought towards homelessness is that those who are experiencing it lack the necessary ambition to get back on their feet. However, many people who suffer from this misfortune are merely hitting a rough patch in their lives. The even more saddening reality is the reasoning behind why many do not help these people out.

Many believe if they lend a hand it will only enable the habits that landed the homeless in that position to begin with. In most cases, this could not be further from the truth. What happened to the Golden Rule: treating others the way you would want to be treated?  

N.C. State Park Scholars have created a way to get students and the public involved in the issue in an enjoyable way, while also making a difference in the Raleigh area. The Canned Creations food drive is currently in its first phase of collecting donations of canned food, and by this Saturday students and citizens of Raleigh can come out to Harris Field and create artwork from the collected donations.

Students are encouraged to donate canned food or nonperishable items. We should not only support the Park Scholar’s programs and their efforts to combat the issue, but we should be standing right beside them to make a difference in our community. It is important for students to take an interest in our community and the issues it faces; by participating in the food-drive we are able to do just that.   

Homelessness is a condition, not a crime. Too many times society has looked at these people as criminals deserving to be homeless—however, they are people and citizens of our community. It is important we show our support and team up with the Park Scholars to combat this issue in our own community.