History
Students' War Against Hunger and Poverty (SWAHP) was founded by Lawrence University Sophomores Liz Corey and Samantha Gibb in the Fall of 2005. The student organization was formally recognized by the Lawrence University Community Council and began meeting weekly.
Although SWAHP began small, the members had a great deal of passion and determination. The group grew to have over 30 active members and generated a 350 person electronic mailing list. In the first year of its creation, SWAHP successfully organized and participated in the local CROP Walk, National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, and The Feinstein Challenge National Food Drive.
Along with these large events, SWAHP organized volunteer opportunities in the community, advocated for issues relating to our cause at the state and national level, and raised awareness on campus about hunger and poverty issues.
SWAHP was also asked by Lawrence University President Jill Beck and the Alumni Office to be a part of the "Focus on Chicago" campaign during which 18 SWAHP members traveled to Chicago to visit a number of non-profits related to hunger and poverty. SWAHP members learned about the issues in the Chicago area and volunteered with LU alumni at the agencies that serve the hungry and poor in the area.
At the end of the 2005-2006 school year, Campus Activities honored SWAHP 2 awards: "Best Organization on Campus" and "Best Event on Campus" for the Feinstein Challenge.
Now:
Over the past few years, SWAHP has continued to grow. SWAHP members continue to organize volunteer opportunities, advocate for the hungry and the poor through petitions, and create awareness campaigns to inform the Lawrence Community about the hunger and poverty issues at a local, national, and international level.
SWAHP continues to organize and participate in the local CROP Walk, National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, and The Feinstein Challenge National Food Drive. Along with these three annual events, SWAHP has added an Alternative Giving Fair which, in December of 2007 (its first year), involved over 20 student organizations and raised over $11,000 for humanitarian causes all around the world.
SWAHP has also participated in two more service trips as part of the President's "Focus on" campaign, traveling to the Twin Cities, MN (Spring 2007) and to Milwaukee (Spring 2008).
This student organization has also collaborated with Lawrence's Professor of Government, Claudena Skran, on her efforts to raise funds for child scholarships in Sierra Leone. Through this collaboration, SWAHP members have raised over $4,000 for children in Sierra Leone. 2008 marked the beginning of The Kids Give Community Outreach Program, created to present school kids in the Appleton area with information about education in Sierra Leone.