Skip-a-Meal to aid area groups

By Alyce Malchiodi

On the first Tuesday of Febuary, March, April and May students will have the opportunity to participate in the Skip-a-Meal program.

Skip-a-Meal is a joint effort by the Resident Hall Association and the NIU Campaign Against Hunger to help those individuals here in DeKalb who are in need.

For Skip-a-Meal, students in the resident halls can sign up to give up one of their meals for the day. The names of these students are taken off the computer’s list of authorized names for that meal. The amount of money that meal is worth is given to different community groups who help people less fortunate. The money is then divided three ways. 50 percent of the it is given to DeKalb’s older population, 37 percent is given to an effort to save the children, and the last 13 percent is given to the hungry.

This is not the first year Skip-a-Meal has been used in the residence halls. Last year brought in roughly $10,000. This year, some of the members of NIU Campaign Against Hunger will go to a shelter to help pass out food to the hungry.

Students are welcome to join NIU Campaign Against Hunger, and are encouraged to sign up for Skip-a-Meal. Another way students who are interested in helping the hungry can get involved is just to spread the word about Skip-a-Meal, many residents are not aware of what Skip-a-Meal is or how it works.

Coordinator for NIU Campaingn Against Hunger, Latonya Holiway, said she wishes students realized how much skipping one meal can help.