By Ava Steffens
Dr. Glenn Poshard, former SIU system president, Illinois senator, U.S. congressman, and longtime humanitarian, presented a poetry reading that raised funds and collected food donations to support the Saluki Food Pantry. The program featured poetry, written by both him and other authors, detailing his life and various adversities that continue to inspire him and his wife, Jo Poshard, to continue to passionately advocate for people in the Southern Illinois region.
While the presentation, titled “Life’s Beginnings and Endings” was free, dozens of attendees made donations in the form of non-perishable food products, checks, and cash to support the Saluki Food Pantry at SIU upon entry.
As part of a regional poetry series, Poshard’s event in the Student Center Ballrooms supported SIU students and families facing food insecurity and hunger.
Poshard, who grew up in a two-room house without electricity in rural southeastern Illinois, has first-hand experience with food insecurity, as detailed in his original poem “Hunger.” He said relying on the generosity of others to have basic needs met often comes with a stigma.
“I was probably eight years old when my father came home from the township to get surplus food,” Poshard said. “I knew how hard it was for him, not being able to find work because he had one arm, and the shame and judgment he felt. I know what hunger does to people, especially children.”
As an adult, Poshard served in the Korean War, working with orphaned children and deepening his commitment to helping others. After returning to the U.S., he earned three degrees at SIU Carbondale and later became SIU system president.
“The university experience is not an easy one,” he said. “I want people to understand that a little help could go a long way, especially in taking pressure off students in sustaining themselves.”
He emphasized that although his father had little to give, he always found ways to do what he could to help others. Inspired by his father’s generosity, Poshard dedicated his life to helping others. He and Jo Poshard now lead the Poshard Foundation for Abused Children at John A. Logan College in Carterville.
“Jo and I wondered how we could help. I know for me, poems were always there for me, so I put the presentation together and traveled throughout southern Illinois to raise money for food pantries,” he said. “The pantry here serves the students so well.”
About one-third of college students experience food insecurity. Since 2016, the Saluki Food Pantry has provided thousands of students and families with up to three days of food per household at no cost, helping them focus their energy on their education and their futures.
In addition to accepting donations through the Poshard poetry reading, the Saluki Food Pantry welcomes gifts made online or to be dropped off in the Student Center administrative office, located on the second floor, from weekdays between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“If you want to feel good about life, be a giver,” said Poshard. “My father gave me that gift.”
“For the alums that are here, thank you. Thank you for welcoming us. We appreciate it,” Chancellor Austin A. Lane said. “These connections remind us how small the world really is and how powerful the Saluki network can be.”
“Today, we have a strong, stable group of leaders, and that has allowed us to move forward as a system and an institution,” he said.
“We want access to our alumni, to where you work, and to the internships and jobs you can offer today’s Salukis,” he said. “Your engagement opens doors for our students and strengthens SIU in D.C.”
“When I first came to D.C., it was an SIU alum who opened the door for me. Now I want to do the same for the next generation of Salukis,” said Jacqueline Muhammad, a 2012 graduate in agricultural systems.
“Wherever I’ve gone in my career, I’ve found Salukis,” said Stephen Holt, a 2007 graduate in finance and financial advisor. “That community has been a constant and tonight proves just how strong it is here in Washington.”
By Ava Steffens