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On any given night, more than 750,000 homeless people are on the streets. Virginia Commonwealth University student, Cristina Wood tries to fight those numbers. While many students have hectic lifestyles, Wood finds time in her schedule to give back. Wood is a transfer student to VCU from the University of Virginia. She made the switch to VCU because she wanted to change her major to Journalism, a major that UVA doesn’t offer. Also Wood felt the diversity of the VCU campus was something she wanted to be a part of. Wood has been working with an organization designed to help the homeless for the past three summers. She found out about the organization, “Feed Our Children Now” through a Warped Tour rock concert and has been involved ever since.

“I was on the warped tour website a few years ago and saw that ‘Feed Our Children Now’ was one of the sponsors so I just looked into it. I had volunteered with the homeless in the past so I knew it was something I wanted to continue helping with.” Wood first got involved with helping the homeless in high school by tutoring kids at a shelter. She has gained gratitude helping those in need, and it’s almost become a second nature. Wood along with her good friend Caitlin Kirby decided to lend a hand at the Warped Tour concert and they’ve been doing the same for several summers now. “Cristina talked me into the idea but I’m really glad that she did; She’s always been a helping person” Kirby noted. This past summer Wood and Kirby visited seven different cities.

With “Feed Our Children Now” over the summer, Wood had to set up tents and tables every day at each venue on the tour so that people could bring canned food and clothes for donation to a shelter in the area. One of the biggest donations sites was Camden, New Jersey, the “Feed Our Children Now” organization’s headquarters. “It was a lot of work,” said Wood. “Since Caitlin and I were driving up and down the east coast each night to get to the venues we were always exhausted; I had to be ready and in the right city by 7a.m. every morning, then spend the whole day in the sun collecting donations and selling shirts, then I had to take everything down and do it again the next day in another city.” The daily activities were quite a task, but Wood says she wouldn't trade the experience for anything. When asked if Wood would be interested in working with the organization for another summer, she was elated at the idea. “Yes!” “I loved it; I hope to do it for the fourth year next summer. I love traveling and seeing old friends and making new ones in different states. Plus it's a great feeling knowing that I’m helping people.”

Wood recently applied for an internship at Virginia Supportive Housing-a shelter for the homeless with the offer of permanent housing. “Once you're admitted in, you are never forced to leave. I’m doing public relations work for them in the office and I really enjoy it.” Wood’s story is a true testimony of charity.