by Karen Downing

Most of us experience hunger by skipping a meal or snack. Good Samaritan Youth decided to experience hunger on a larger scale, by fasting for 30 hours. In doing so, these junior high and high school age kids raised over $1,100 for World Vision. This is an organization whose stated mission is to work with the poor and oppressed by providing food, medicine, and shelter to needy people around the world.

In addition to taking pledges to support their fast, Good Sam Youth held a pancake supper on Shrove Tuesday, and a No-Doughnut Doughnut Sale. Dunkin Donuts donated empty boxes which people bought. This concept was conceived in an attempt to increase people’s awareness of hunger by having empty food containers.

Most of the participants found it difficult to fast for 30 hours. Juice and crackers were always available, but they tried to focus their minds on other activities to keep from thinking about food.
They discovered that the hunger was very strong at times, and non-existent at other times. Leaders encouraged the youth to write on a “wall of feeling” whenever they were tired, frustrated, or just plain starving! Another part of their activities included a scavenger hunt for canned foods in surrounding neighborhoods and grocery stores. They gathered 400 cans for the Good Samaritan Fish Pantry, a source of food for the hungry in east Tennessee.

The fast ended with a pizza, doughnut, and ice cream party. Although the participants were jubilant, they were also reflective at the end of their ordeal. All felt a keen awareness of the suffering that accompanies hunger in our world.

Good Samaritan is proud and thankful for the following youth participants: Megan Courtney, Whitney Downing, Sarah Gore, Zach Hall, Stewart McKee, Laurel Murdock, Krista Segars, Melissa Shaw and her friend Erin, Michael Shelton, and Brittany Skyberg. We are grateful for the dedication of our youth leaders Carolyn Beal and Amanda Rowcliffe. They not only organized this event, they also participated in the fast.

Karen Downing is a parishioner at Good Samaritan, Knoxville, and a parent of one of the participants. To learn more about World Vision and their 30 hour fast project, visit their websites at: www.30hourfamine.org and www.worldvision.org.