UT Rebuilds the Oxfam Organization

AUSTIN, TEXAS Students at the University of Texas pass each other every day
oblivious to the lives of individuals outside the classroom. They dont realize they may be
shuffling past students who are hungry and struggling to pay rent.
What you see on the surface of these shiny, grand buildings and infrastructures does not
always depict what is going on behind-the-scenes in our community, said Maggie Rake,
president of Oxfam UT. It is crucial that students take a moment to notice the struggle
surrounding them.
Rake believes Oxfam UT, an organization rooted in fighting poverty in the Austin
community and within the bounds of its campus, can help assist students and other residents that
are struggling with these needs. Hoping to increase membership in the organization, she made
an appeal to students during a meeting Wednesday in Parlin Hall. Fifteen UT students from
different grades, majors and backgrounds gathered inside a classroom to learn more about the
organization.
Since Oxfam has traditionally been small, Rake said she hoped to rebuild the student base
by adding at least 8 to 10 members. One of our goals is to create a steady membership so we
can plan some larger events like a benefit concert and hunger banquet in the spring semester,
Rake said.
Rake also mentioned communities in Austin that needed its help, like the East Austin
food desert where there is a disparity of wealth and attention to needs.
But, while supplying volunteers to the broader Austin community is important, Rake said
the organization also intended to focus on the needs within its own campus. Oxfam UT is one of

the many ways that students who have received help from the university can give back to the
community.
Latoya Hill, associate dean of students in the Department of Student Conduct and
Emergency Services echoed those thoughts. There are numerous kids within the UT community
who may wear a smile but struggle to find food or shelter each day and night, she said. The
Student Emergency Services department assists approximately 115 to 200 kids in crises
situations that are in need of housing, food or other types of funding.
Hill suggested one way Oxfam volunteers can help their classmates is to raise money for
the gift card system. This is how Hill and the rest of the Student Emergency Services Department
choose to assist hungry students. Money donated to the gift card system is used to purchase gift
cards from places like HEB and Walmart for students who do not have access to food, Hill said.
Her department partners with organizations such as Oxfam to encourage students to take
a look around. Hill hopes they will realize that poverty is not only prevalent on the city streets
but also in remote areas.
In addition to helping UT students, Rake hopes that Oxfam volunteers will assist
organizations in the Austin community this fall, such as the Capital Area Food Bank, which
serves approximately 46,000 people each week, according to Paul Gaither, director of media
inquiries. Rake said help was needed to serve and deliver food to isolated areas.
Rake also said Oxfam members could do more community outreach, such as setting up a
booth at Austin City Limits, host speakers and socials centered on raising awareness for hunger
and poverty.
As a result of the meeting, the organization has grown almost double in size, according to
Rake.

I wanted to join Oxfam UT after hearing about all of the events they are involved with
this semester, said Darby Sharp, a second-year communication major at UT. She said that the
meeting opened her eyes to the people struggling around her. I never realized the impact my
time and efforts could make on campus and in our community.