United Methodist Church Youth Group Gets A Taste Of What Hunger Is Like

By Shannon Hicks

According to World Vision United States, 29,000 children under the age of 5 around the world die daily from hunger or related issues. One child dies every two minutes. World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization based in Washington state that is dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities around the world to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.

Young members of Newtown United Methodist Church recently decided to raise funds to help children in this country and others whose parents cannot afford to feed them, following a plan suggested by World Vision US. About 20 young adults participated last weekend in a 30-hour famine, purposely going without eating for nearly a day and a half. Instead of catching a movie, hanging out with friends or doing other social events on Martin Luther King Day, these students were at church, fundraising through famine.

Two national 30-hour famine events are being planned for February 22–23 and April 25–26, but World Vision also encourages groups to choose their own date. The NUMC group was primarily members of the church, although a few friends of church members also participated.

Ronalee and Brad Tefft organized the event for NUMC after being approached by the young church members. It was the second time the church hosted a 30-hour famine, and the Teffts saw a larger number of interested participants this time around.

“We were youth group leaders for five years, and then we decided to take sabbatical,” Mrs Tefft said this week. “No one else has signed up, however, and the kids came to us and said they wanted to do this. So we decided to go forward with this upon their request.”

“The kids said they wanted to do mission work in some way, but they didn’t know what to do,” Mr Tefft said. “Others said they wanted to help other kids, and most said they wanted to experience for themselves what hunger is like. Here in Newtown we don’t see or experience much of that. This was definitely a learning experience.”

Groups are encouraged by World Vision to raise money through donors and sponsors to help the millions of hungry children in some of the world’s poorest countries. Groups then go for 30 hours without food, “getting a taste of what hunger is like,” according to program notes from World Vision US. When they collect their promised donations from sponsors, the money is sent to World Vision, which in turn puts “it to work in areas like Malawi, Peru, North Korea, and here in the United States,” according to World Vision’s website (30HourFamine.org).

While they don’t know where in the world their money will be spent, the Teffts rest easy knowing that the majority of the money the youth group has raised will be well spent.

“They decide where the money goes, but I believe 87 cents of every dollar goes toward food and the rest is spent on materials and whatever else they need to spend it on,” Mrs Tefft said.

The NUMC youth group raised an average of $167 per person (although one really set the bar, collecting $700 in pledges). The group as a whole collected approximately $3,400.

According to World Vision, just $1 a day — or $30 a month — will help feed and care for a child.

“By the time we’re finished, between the promised pledges and additional donations people give us, we will probably be able to feed ten kids for a year,” said Mrs Tefft.

In the past, World Vision has heard from groups who participated in any number of activities, from community service projects to volunteer work study, during their famine fundraising. The NUMC group, which went without eating from noon on Sunday, January 20, until 6 pm Monday, January 21, stayed closer to home. The young adults and their chaperones primarily stayed in the fellowship hall of their Church Hill Road church.

NUMC kicked off its 30-hour famine with a potluck lunch after worship services on Sunday. Parents and friends provided pizza, ziti, salad and beverages for the participants. The Reverend Terry Pfeiffer, pastor of NUMC, and Reverend Richard Yerrington, associate pastor, each offered blessings for the group, and then the self-deprivation began.

“It won’t be the full 30 hours in here for all of them,” Brad Tefft said Monday afternoon. “A couple of them had activities that they were already committed to, so they signed out and then signed back in when they were finished, and they were on their honor while they were out of here …”

“…not to stop at Subway,” his wife said, finishing his sentence with a laugh.

Board games, video games, dancing, a lot of talking, and other activities kept the teens busy during their time together. On Sunday night the group participated in a devotional. Mr Tefft led the devotional, challenging the teens to share their reasons for participating in the famine.

Some of the girls spent Sunday night sleeping in the church’s nursery, while the majority of the group spread out their air mattresses and sleeping bags across the floor of the fellowship hall.

By mid-Monday afternoon the kids were doing well at NUMC. There was music playing and dancing happening in one corner, while others were playing a video game. In the nursery area of the hall, another group was getting ready to screen Transformers.

The enthusiasm was still there, as was the energy for most.

“With others around, it’s been OK. I’m not as tired as I thought I would be, and maybe not as hungry,” said Caitlin Tefft, 16. “I kind of get spurts of hunger, but I don’t want to leave. It’s been fun.”

“It’s been different, because when I’m bored at home I go get something to eat,” said Nahba Bropleh, 15. “We’ve been kept busy, so it keeps your mind off the hunger.”

Caitlin and Nahba both felt that knowing they would be eating again in a few hours kept any hunger pains they felt at bay.

“We’re counting down the hours now,” admitted Caitlin. “That helps a lot.”

In addition to Caitlin and Nahba, the following students participated in the 30-hour famine: Iain Baxter, Drew Beiter, Felicia Cavanaugh, Anthony Csizhadia, Michael Czarnecki, Chris Dennis, Ashley Fitzgerald, Gretchen Hoffmann, Hannah Glasrud, Sarah Poarch, Ryan Pearlman, Megan Rockwell, Ashley Rothacker, Mnasnoh Samukai, Nicole Scalora, Maggie Sullivan, Alyssa Wade, and Kelela Wade.

To conclude their 30-hour fast the group dined on soup and grilled cheese sandwiches at 6.

“We’ll conclude with a Break Fast,” said Mr Tefft. “We’ll have just a light meal to fill our bellies.”

After that it was time to go home to soft beds, full pantries, families, and homes that were safe from the dark and cold. As they fell asleep Monday evening, hopefully the young adults realized how lucky they are to be in a position to help others their own age, and that hunger would be held off, even temporarily, thanks to their efforts.