Spreading goodwill

Jeff Benson

Lauren McCue slapped gobs of grape jelly on a slice of white bread

and then spread her peanut butter in sloppy semi-circles on another.

It was a mighty sandwich, which she was proud of.

The sandwich wasn’t for her, though, and neither were the 100

others she and fellow students made Wednesday for Orange County’s

homeless children in recognition of Homelessness Awareness Week at UC

Irvine.

“I haven’t been using the ends,” the 20-year-old junior said as

she reached down deeper into the bag to dig out two pieces of white

bread. “I’ve never met a kid who liked the ends.”

McCue and other members of UCI’s California Public Interest

Research Group Hunger and Homelessness Campaign spent three hours

Wednesday making the sandwiches and bagging them with carrots and

bottled water to be donated to children who can’t afford school

meals.

“It’s nice to actually make food that’s going directly to someone

in need,” McCue said. “I saw that there was a problem in that

homeless people weren’t able to represent themselves. We’re reaching

out to the community and being good citizens.”

The club’s efforts were mimicked by others who noticed them making

the sandwiches on the concrete and tables in front of the student

center. About 30 members of Phi Zeta Tau sorority helped speed up the

process after reading about it in the university’s weekly newsletter,

sorority philanthropy chairwoman Tiffany Ran said.

“I just thought it’s important to be aware of what’s going on at

UCI,” Ran said.

Students recognized Homelessness Awareness Week in several other

ways. Carpools left daily for the Someone Cares Soup Kitchen in Costa

Mesa, and members of Students for Homeless Outreach Together held a

bake sale Monday through Wednesday to benefit local shelters and food

banks.

Guest speakers Thursday night discussed Orange County’s growing

homelessness problem -- 22,000 people, 10,200 of whom are children,

according to a 2002 report by the Shelter for the Homeless. Students

camped out in front of the university’s volunteer center, so they

could simulate what it’s like to be homeless.

Club organizer Diana Lin said the California Public Interest

Research Group also volunteers at the Second Harvest Food Bank of

Orange County and helps pick vegetables for the homeless. It’s

members will pick broccoli on Saturday, she said.

“One afternoon of picking can feed 7,000 or 8,000 people for three

days,” Lin said. “It feels great to be able to help.”

* JEFF BENSON covers education and may be reached at (714)

966-4617 or by e-mail at jeff.benson@latimes.com.