The IU Social Work Student Association put the spotlight on homelessness and poverty in Bloomington during its third annual talent show at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Frangipani Room of the Indiana Memorial Union.
“It’s really exciting to watch how fired up everyone gets to share their talents for a really great cause,” said Courney Sebo, an IU social work major who performed in the show. “It’s been awesome just seeing how the community in general around the social work program has pulled together.”
Attendees could opt to pay a $3 entrance fee or make a non-perishable food donation.
All proceeds from the talent show were divided equally between two local agencies in Bloomington: the Banneker Community Center and Stepping Stones.
Funded by the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, the Banneker Community Center provides services, such as after-school programs for children and other youth.
Banneker also features a Family Resource Center, which is a source of information and community support for families in Bloomington.
Stepping Stones is an independent Bloomington-based nonprofit that provides supportive services and offers temporary housing to homeless youth between the ages of 16 and 20.
The organization is dedicated to helping youth, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, national origin, creed, religion or disability, according to the organization’s website.
The event also featured tables where attendees could speak with representatives from both organizations and make further donations and purchase student made T-Shirts that would benefit both organizations.
Madison Crawford, a junior studying social work at IU, was part of the advertising team responsible for spreading the word about the event.
Crawford said events like the talent show are important because, in addition to raising money, they also raise awareness regarding the problems these agencies work to address.
Crawford said to combat issues such as homelessness and poverty in the community, we must first combat ignorance and apathy surrounding them.
“Poverty and homelessness are very real issues affecting the Bloomington community,” Crawford said. “It is so easy to stay inside our college bubble and not confront these issues, but the School of Social Work wants to bring these issues to the awareness of the IU campus.”
Sebo said rather than marginalizing the issue by passing surface level judgments, people should consider the ways they can help those in need.
“People can help by looking for simple things to do out in the community, like making a sack lunch for those you see or just donating a couple dollars,” Sebo said. “There’s a lot of different shelters around Bloomington where you can volunteer.”
