SLIPPERY ROCK — Here's some food for thought: An estimated 19,000 people in Butler County skip at least one meal a day out of necessity.

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank calls these people “food insecure,” said Beth Snyder, who handles public relations for the food bank.

“You and I know we are going to have three healthy, well-rounded meals a day,” said Snyder. “The food insecure don't necessarily know that. They might have two meals but don't know if they will have all three.”

“School children might be getting a school breakfast and lunch, but not a dinner. There are parents that skip dinner to make sure their kids are eating,” said Snyder. “Senior citizens may have to make the tough choice of having money for medicines or money for food.”

She said the food insecure make up about 10 percent of the county's population.

To raise awareness and mobilize support in the fight against hunger, the Student Nonprofit Alliance (SNA) at Slippery Rock University will host its fourth annual “Hunger Banquet” from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Nov. 14, in the Smith Student Center Ballroom.

“The Student Nonprofit Alliance is the professional organization for students majoring in nonprofit management,” said Alice Del Vecchio, SRU assistant professor of interdisciplinary programs and director of SRU's Nonprofit Management Program.

The banquet is part of SNA's “IZE on Hunger” effort running from Nov. 10 to 17 with a variety of events focusing on hunger.

The meal will be based on the Oxfam dinner, an interactive event focusing on the issue of hunger, said Del Vecchio.

The buffet will include stations featuring popular U.S. college foods. “It's buffet, it's not just a handful of rice,” said Del Vecchio.

“Every semester the alliance selects a social issue,” she said. “The idea is to take a whole week for projects and activities designed to help people realize the problem, emphasize and mobilize.”

“The Hunger Banquet is designed to start the conversation/buzz around food on the campus — realizing hunger is an important issue, empathizing with the children who are food insecure, and mobilizing to do something about it,” said Del Vecchio.

Tickets for the Hunger Banquet are $5 for students and $20 for nonstudents Only 125 tickets will be sold. They will be available for purchase Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30 to 2 p.m. outside Starbucks in the Smith Student Union.

Proceeds from ticket sales — and cash donations the evening of the event — will benefit the Slippery Rock School District Weekend Food Program. The program, launched in 2014, serves food bags to about 45 students — ages 5 to 14 — each Friday during the school year, according to the university.

“The program was started as a means to assist some of the very neediest families in our school district,” said Alfonso Angelucci, superintendent of the Slippery Rock School District.

The program operates solely on the donations of supporters in the community. The school district does not accept donated food, but rather purchases the food through its school district food service provider so that the food meets USDA and National School Lunch Program guidelines.

It costs about $7.50 per weekend food bag, with the school district sending bags out each weekend. Examples of the items received in each bag include: pasta, pasta sauce, cereal bowl packs, breakfast bars, bread slices, jelly, bottled water, fruit bowls and applesauce.

Del Vecchio said, “The school is right across the street from the university. This is what I like about being here, the university is very community oriented.”

Last year's banquet event raised more than $450, which provided 60 weekend meals.

Snyder said while demand at the food bank, which provides food to 400 local agencies in 11 counties has remained fairly steady, she expects it to rise with the coming of colder weather and the holiday season.

Debbie Gold, the food program co-coordinator for Butler County Community Action's food warehouse bank, said it supplies about 14 food cupboards and 11 senior housing facilities.

“We are always in need of food. People don't realize how many do go hungry from day to day,” said Gold.

Gold said to donate money, call 724-284-5126.

Other events planned for the IZE campaign include:- Greek Life and Academic Department Penny Wars (Nov. 1-14): SRU fraternities, sororities and academic departments will be collecting pennies and other loose change in a battle to see who can collect the most money to defeat hunger. All proceeds support the Slippery Rock School District Weekend Food Program.- A Mountain of Meals (Nov. 10-17): Residence hall students will compete against one another to see which building can collect the most canned goods. Proceeds will benefit the Feed My Sheep holiday food basket program.- Skip A Meal Pledge (Nov. 10-14): Student Nonprofit Alliance members will be passing out “Skip a Meal” pledge cards so fellow students can pledge to skip a meal in support of those individuals who skip more meals each week then they should have to. All pledge cards will be posted at the Hunger Banquet in support of those battling hunger.- Cooking Up a Difference (Nov. 10-17): Join SNA in making, delivering and serving meals to the homeless and hungry in Butler County. For additional information on this event, contact Amanda Wemette at acw1007@sru.edu.- IZE at the Movies and The Great Give-A-Damn Bake sale (5 to 8 p.m., Nov. 10, Eisenberg Classroom Building auditorium): A viewing of the film, “A Place at the Table,” followed by a post-viewing roundtable discussion on what the SRU community can do to battle hunger. Proceeds from the bake sale support the Slippery Rock School District Weekend Food Program.- IZE Carnival in the Suite (12:30 to 2 p.m., Nov. 15, The Suite): Information tables, games and activities to raise awareness about — and funds to fight — hunger. A poster contest will be sponsored by the Art Society at which students will be asked to vote for the poster that best motivates them to help in the fight against hunger. Those who vote will be entered to win a Starbucks gift card.