Hillel cans for charity

Children from local neighborhoods and IU students will team up this week to gather canned food through "Halloween for the Hungry," a program sponsored by the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center. The drive will benefit two Bloomington charities: Middle Way House and The Rise.\nSophomore Joanna Blotner, who is in charge of the Mitzvah Corps at Hillel, said the center will be gathering cans from local neighborhoods and at residence halls' convenience stores.\nHillel's goal is to donate 500 cans to the organizations and gather about 200 cans at a trick-or-treat evening Thursday.\nBlotner said students will go to a local neighborhood -- most likely with residents or families -- and trick-or-treat for canned goods instead of candy. Costumes are encouraged, but not necessary.\nBlotner and others organizing the event will deliver messages to the neighborhood residents describing the reason for the drive, and asking to gather cans for the trick-or-treaters when they come knocking on doors later in the week.\nTo target other students, Hillel volunteers will also be stationed noon to 3 p.m. Friday at the Wright and McNutt C-stores. Students with excess meal points can buy canned food from C-stores to donate to Hillel during this time.\n"We'll ask (resident students) to buy two or three cans," Blotner said. "People always have extra meal points."\nAlso this week, Hillel will have a box at the center for people to bring can donations.\nJunior Lauren Rosenberg, C-store food drive chair, said she decided to get involved with the drive because she wants to concentrate on a social issue like hunger.\n"While millions of kids covet their chocolate and candy corns, impoverished Americans are in dire need of actual sustenance," Rosenberg said. "During a holiday that is somewhat frivolous, it is important to recognize the issues that really matter."\nReaching out to the community should be a year round concern, said Jessie Mallor, director of Jewish student life at Hillel. \n"It's always important to give your time and energy to working for your community; I think it's one of the most important things anyone can do in their lives," Mallor said. "I think it's important to remember that there is need in our community throughout the year, and we have to do what we can to make that better."\nMallor said Hillel also contributes time and help to other charities like local animal shelters, Magen David Adom (an Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross), the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and Tzedakah Leads to Community or TLC, a week Hillel tries to "get as many students as possible doing as much community service as possible."\n"What Mitzvah Corps tries to do is help college students find fun and engaging ways to get involved in our community," Mallor said.\n-- Contact staff writer Ashley Lough at amlough@indiana.edu.