Women's advocacy group brings awareness to poverty and hunger through demonstration

from the Texas A&M Battalion


Sophomore psychology major and member of the group W: Women in Power, Power in Women, Alyssa Kreutter, lays among bags stuffed with blankets Wednesday in Rudder Plaza. The members of the group or dependent on the kindness of those walking by. The demonstration will continue until Friday.

By: Stacy Edwards

Members of W:Women in Power, Power in Women, will live in Rudder Plaza with nothing but the clothes on their backs from 7 a.m. Wednesday to 7 p.m. Friday for W's Poverty Demonstration.

They will inform students about global and local needs while selling T-shirts for their philanthropy, Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc., CARE.

Amanda Snyder, a junior anthropology major and executive director and founder of Texas A&M's W organization, said W will depend on donations from others for the event.

"We really wanted to shake up campus, to show that we trust and have faith so much so in the Aggie family that we have nothing - no food, no blankets, no toothbrushes, etc. and trust that we'll get all that donated to us just out of the kindness of Aggies' hearts," Snyder said.

Synder said one of her executives, Abbey Adkison, a senior international studies major, came up with the idea of the demonstration after reading a magazine article.

"I don't think the article was exactly about doing this type of demonstration, but it definitely spurred her on and encouraged her to think of this idea," Synder said.

Adkinson said W wants to put a face to poverty for the A&M campus.

"We know that it's a lot easier to ignore the poor when it isn't anyone you know, but what if it was?" she said. "What if it was your roommate, sister or best friend? It's a whole lot harder to deny help to them."

Adkinson said there are various elements of the demonstration that W members will participate in.

"While we're in Rudder, we're just going to be doing homework so we don't fail, and answering questions," Adkinson said. "We'll be selling T-shirts, talking to people about [CARE] and passing out information about places students can go to volunteer in the community."

Alyssa Kreutter, a sophomore psychology major, said W is a women's organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness for impoverished women.

"We have been advertising for this on campus and we are relying on the Aggie family to provide us with food, blankets, etc.," Kreutter said. "At the end of the three days, anything non-perishable will be donated to Twin City Missions."

Those involved with the demonstration can only bring the clothes they are wearing and their school work. They can go to class and meetings, but otherwise are virtually homeless for three days, said Kreutter.

Sarah Haroutunian, a junior nutritional sciences major, said, in addition to raising awareness, the members are raising money for CARE.

"CARE gives international aid and support to impoverished nations, focusing on women because they are the most impacted by poverty," she said. "CARE gives emergency aid to these nations, but the bulk of their program money goes to helping them become financially self-sufficient, by implementing long lasting institutions so these countries do not have to rely on quick-fix foreign aid."

Haroutunian said she's excited about the awareness the demonstration could bring, and is not worried about the temporary discomfort she may experience.

"I am not worried about the possibility of going hungry for a couple of days - those hunger pains will serve as a reminder of the pain of the overlooked homeless population, the people most of us pass on the street uncomfortably as we try to forget about their depressing situation," she said.

Melissa Stone, a junior international studies major and member of W, said Bryan-College Station is not immune to poverty.

"W is beginning a protest against ignorance," Stone said. "Poverty and homelessness are global issues that affect so large a population of the world, but are also issues that affect men, women and children here in Bryan-College Station."

Stone said she hopes putting a face to those in need will inspire students to stand for change.

"W hopes to raise awareness of the impoverishment of our neighbors through bringing a face to poverty - the faces of your classmates," she said. "We seek to motivate Aggies, some of the most caring and generous students in the nation, to give back to the community and to the world."

For information about W and the W Poverty Demonstration, visit http://powerinwomen.tamu.edu/.