This past weekend we did the 30 Hour Famine with our sr. high students. For much of the time leading up to it, I was thinking too much about it. For instance, how our idea of fundraising is skewed. If every American eligible to vote gave about $10 a month to feeding those in poverty, world hunger would be abolished in a year or two. But we don't give. We need a reason. So instead we have to have teenagers starve themselves. For some reason, that act allows people to more freely give money. Why not just give since it's the right thing to do and people need help?
Then there's the whole idea of getting students to do the Famine to raise money. To get people involved it has to be fun. That was really messing with my head last week. We make poverty "fun". Although part of that is a learning experience (which usually, if it's fun you learn more), we use activities to get a glimpse into what life would be like for someone in poverty. But I kept thinking about what it would be like if someone who had lived in poverty overseas were to come visit us doing the Famine. What would they think?
But there's the other side of this whole equation. The students who were there did great, little complaining about hunger (even during discussions on bacon and cheese), they raised their own awareness for what is going on in the world (the balloons are filled with food necessary for a balanced diet, frustrations abounded when they worked so hard to find things that had no nutritional value all the while trying to get food with physical disabilites), and a handful of students managed to raise money for those in need well into four figures (I won't have the totals until next week, some are still collecting money). So as odd as it is and my mind still tries to wrap around it, the good far outweighs the questions and I can't wait until we do it again! Thanks to everyone who supported us!T
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