You may have seen on the church calendar this month an event called "30 Hour Famine" and wondered what that is. The quick answer: We don't eat so that kids that are starving can. Let me tell you a little more about it . . .
What is it?
30 Hour Famine is new to our youth group, but it is a long standing annual event led by World Vision to raise awareness about world hunger. The event was started by a single youth group in 1971, and now occurs each year in 21 countries around the world. Participants abstain from eating food for 30 hours, with the hope of making known the plight of hungry children around the world and raising money to support World Vision's feeding ministry.
I pray the event, April 29-30, will be truly eye-opening to our youth; they will eat their last meal at school on Friday, and not eat again until supper on Saturday. In the mean time, we will be participating in lots of fun activities at the church in which we will learn more about the realities of world hunger and will hopefully come away with a much deeper appreciation for role we can play in ending world hunger.
Why are we doing this?
Kids are starving around the world, and we can make a difference.
Another child dies from hunger-related causes every 10 seconds. That’s 8,000 kids under the age of 5 dying every day. Some starve. Some get sick, and their hungry bodies are just too weak to fight. Even those lucky enough to survive hunger will feel its effects for a lifetime. Hunger stunts a child’s growth. It leaves kids more vulnerable to disease and steals the energy they need for school. More than 1 billion people go hungry every day. With around 6 billion people in the world, that means 1 in 6 people will go to bed hungry tonight.
The crazier thing: there's enough food in the world. There are enough resources and know-how to get it to the people who need it.
We get to be the one's to raise our voice to make people aware; that's why we're doing the 30 Hour Famine.
What can you do?
First off, we would welcome you to join us. If you would like to participate, please just let me know, and I'll get you plugged in. Also, please be praying for our youth and adult leaders who will be participating. As you see them around, give them your encouragement and support.
You can also support by giving financial contributions. $30 feeds a hungry child for a month. $360 feeds a child for a year. I was just informed last week by our contact at World Vision that they currently have a 6x multiplier grant on any funds raised by the 30 Hour Famine. So that means that $360 feeds 6 hungry children for a whole year! We have the opportunity to truly make a difference in the lives of starving children!
If you'd like to learn more about 30 Hour Famine or World Vision, I'd encourage you to check out this website.
If you have any more questions about the 30 Hour Famine, I'd be glad to talk with you. Thanks for your support!
~Peace
Ben
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