St. Philips Church in Norwalk organizes the 30 Hour Famine through World Vision annually. In prior years, I could not participate because it conflicts with Regional Championships for swimming. This year, I was able to be a part of the incredible 30 Hour Famine for the first time.
I raised $500 through an online donation page and cash donations during and prior to the Famine. The fundraising continues for the next two weeks. From February 28 at 5 a.m. to about 11 a.m. on March 1, two hundred teenagers did not eat. Throughout these thirty hours, we played games, went to a service project, made new friends, and had a karaoke and dance party. I have to say that the experience was incredibly rewarding.
When I arrived at the Norwalk Green at 9 a.m. on Saturday, I was handed a sign that said "Walk for them". Other participants had signs with facts about world hunger, and a banner expressing the goal of the Thirty Hour Famine lead the procession. Then we completed a walk from the Norwalk Green back to St. Philips with adult chaperones and a police escort. The walk was very cold, but it definitely got people's attention that were driving by. And that was the goal - to simply raise awareness for the 30 Hour Famine and for the problem of hunger in our world.
The theme of the famine this year was to "Make it Count". Not only to make our time at the famine count but to make our time after the famine count. And by "count", we mean continue making a difference in other people's lives. That's why the logo following Make it Count on the tee shirts reads 30 hours, 30 days, 30 people. It encourage famine participants to continue their service and effect the lives of people in their communities in any positive way possible.
After a prayer service and a few games that turned Saturday morning into Saturday afternoon (first stomach pangs!), my "tribe" which represented the country of Bolivia, was shuttled to St. Thomas to complete a service project. We packed 20,000 fortified meals full of nutrients for people who are hungry. This experience was humbling. It was so important not to waste any small piece of food because, as the organizers expressed, any small bit of food may be enough to save someone. This made me feel that I have acted frivolously with food too often in my life. Refusing food and throwing out leftovers happens too often in my life; instead, I should not take for granted the food I have access to at anytime.
Most of the pictures I took were during the "free time" parts of the famine, such as the karaoke on Saturday night. We slept in the Church's School Hall and broke the fast with the Eucharist this morning during the 10:00 a.m. mass.
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| The prayer service on Saturday night included a candlelight ceremony with luminary bags. |
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| On Friday, famine participants wrote 30 on their hands and wore 30 Hour Famine tee shirts from past years to raise awareness for the event and for world hunger. |
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| The candlelight ceremony on Saturday night featured luminary bags sold by famine participants and written on by parishoners. They honored people who were fasting, people who are sick or have passed away, and the impoverished people were were fasting for. |
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| Ben Bonebrake was recognized at the mass on Sunday morning because Saturday was his birthday. He choose to spend it at the famine and not eat all day rather than celebrate his birthday. |
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| Getting a little excited during the karaoke portion of the evening. |
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| Karaoke quickly turned into a group activity rather than solo acts. |
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