By: Gray Walker  

Staff Writer

The Lowndes Associated Ministries to People and Inc. (LAMP), is a primary homeless shelter in Valdosta that also serves in seven other counties, and for the past four years every spring semester VSU hosts a fundraiser for them in the Student Union. This year’s took place on March 26th.  

The fundraiser was started by Professor Thomas Hochschild, a professor of sociology here at VSU, and every year for the past four years, he has used his class on poverty and social welfare to host this event and raise funds for LAMP. 

His entire class takes part in it, volunteering and hosting the entire fundraiser along with him. They donate money, items, and their time in support of the organization.  

This event happens every spring, and you don’t have to be a part of his class to join in and help out. Everyone is invited, and the more people that show up, the more people that receive care and shelter.  

It has a $10 admissions fee (all of which goes to LAMP) with a $3 discount if you bring three or more non-perishable food items and has an entire wall full of items for a silent auction to buy at and donate even more. They have live music, which is played by Tommy Hox, and a large buffet of a variety of food.  

The fundraiser this year had a live show performance of two poems by a member of VSU’s Deep Release Poetry Society. The poems were written and performed by a member on their experiences and stigmas as someone who lived in poverty for their childhood.  

This year’s event raised over 600$, and afterwards Dr. Horchschild went on to explain LAMP and their mission in more detail. According to Dr. Horchschild, “People tend to have a certain image of homeless people that pop up in their head, and that tends to not relate to reality. Around 35% of people below the poverty line are children, which really throws out the excuse that people use that homeless people aren’t working or trying hard enough or that they do this to themselves.” (Horchschild). 

Even the ones who aren’t children are usually people hurt by the government, like the high numbers of veterans, those who lost their jobs or homes, people and families who have escaped abusive or unsafe environments with nowhere else to go. Those who have addictions and illnesses, both physical and mental, who are facing an uphill battle to be treated with even a little decency and basic respect.  

While it may be easier to just ignore them, events like these are the best places to learn more about organizations and what’s happening in your area. You won’t change anything by ignoring it. According to Dr. Horchschild “One person has made all the difference, it starts with one person.”  

 In the words of student volunteer Yazmynn Collier, “It feels good to help people, why not? You won’t lose anything, maybe a few minutes of your day, but that’s helpful to somebody to somebody more than you might think.” (Collier). 

Yazmynn not only helps with these events for her class but goes out of her way to volunteer at the LAMP shelter and helps with their events as well. If you want more information on how to get in contact with the shelter, or to volunteer at events and locations, then you can locate them here at their website; https://www.lampinc.org/