Up until this year, when I thought about homelessness and food insecurity, I always thought of Chicago.

After doing some research, I realized there is a significant homeless problem in DeKalb County, which our community needs to address.

The extreme poverty rate in DeKalb County falls between 6 and 16.3 percent, according to a 2013 annual report by the Illinois Commission on the Elimination of Poverty. The actual number of those in DeKalb County in extreme poverty lies between 2,500 and 9,999 people. The World Bank defines extreme poverty as living off $1.25 or less a day.

“[Homelessness and] food insecurity is much more prevalent in this area than you would guess,” said Joan Quinn, Foodsystems Laboratories coordinator at NIU. “We’re not [just] talking about people who’re independent … we’re often talking about families with children that are [homeless].”

Fortunately, the foundation has been built for students and DeKalb residents to make a positive impact. There are 23 homeless shelters in the DeKalb area, according to suntopia.org, a website that lists social services available to help those in need. These 23 organizations provide a means for residents to offer volunteer work and donations to those in need.

One of the homeless shelters in DeKalb is Hope Haven, 1145 Rushmoore Drive. By providing shelter, food and life skill programs, Hope Haven has made a big difference in many people’s lives in recent years.

“Last year we provided over 25,000 [combined] nights of shelter and served over 45,000 meals to the homeless,” said Lesly Wicks, executive director at Hope Haven. “We serve about 98 people a night at the shelter, and then the apartment complex is 26 apartments and we’re typically full on a regular basis.”

The sheer number of homeless people served at Hope Haven points to the magnitude of the local issue. Of course, a service like this cannot run without help from the community.

Thirty percent of Hope Haven’s funding comes from private donations, according to the organization’s website.

A fun and interactive way to show your support for Hope Haven and the needy in DeKalb is by attending one of two Empty Bowls fundraiser meals at 4:30 or 6 p.m. Thursday night in the Chandelier Dining Room in Adams Hall.

Students can donate $15 or $10 and will be provided with a meal and drink or a meal, drink and handcrafted ceramic bowl, respectively.

“You can walk away with a beautiful ceramic bowl and you can walk away feeling good about the fact that you’ve helped feed people who are having trouble feeding themselves,” Quinn said.

If you haven’t made contributions for this cause, I’d encourage you to do what you can to increase awareness and provide support.

Whether it’s sacrificing a Starbucks coffee one morning or refraining from buying a cool shirt you don’t actually need, find a way to donate a few bucks. When a lot of people make small contributions, they can make big changes.

If you have food on the table and a warm bed to sleep in, you are blessed. Be grateful for what you have and try to provide these same blessings to those around you.