30 Hour Famine

This past weekend my church participated in an event called 30 Hour Famine. Every year 30 Hour Famine is hosted by World Vision. The event is specifically geared to raise money for children who are starving across the world. My church teamed up with two other churches for the event. Together we raised a total of $10,000. About 100 people participated overall (including youth workers). We went 30 hours without food so that we could kind of get a sensation of being hungry. We built 1084 crosses, and pounded them into the ground outside to represent the number of kids that die every single hour from preventable causes. It's really quite sad. We then went through a labyrinth that gave us different statistics. One of the things that hit me most was that teenagers spend an average of $73 a week. Most families in Africa live on less than $7 a week. That's a little bit ridiculous. One of my favorite worship leaders, Ben Robie, was there to lead worship. It was wonderful. Our leaders set up about 6 tables, all filled with candles. Each candle represented one kid that would die within the next hour. That night I went back to my cardboard hut to sleep (we build cardboard huts to kind of get a sensation of what it would feel like to be homeless). I was pretty hungry...

The next morning when I woke up I wasn't hungry at all. We all packed into vans and drove to the Utah Food Bank. At the food bank we sorted the food into various different boxes, which will then be given to various food pantries across the state. Eventually they will reach the hands of the hungry.

I actually got interviewed by a lady from Deseret News. Here is the article:

Teens 'starve' to spotlight world hunger
By Kristy Kuhn
Deseret News
Published: March 8, 2009
Seventeen-year-old Amberly Vincent was famished Saturday morning as she sorted food at the Utah Food Bank — she hadn't eaten anything in close to 30 hours — yet she didn't even flinch when the kindly woman behind the counter called out, "Have some candy" and plunked down a huge bowl of brightly colored, foil-wrapped chocolate.

She didn't flinch because she was starving herself on purpose — and not even chocolate could break her resolve.

Vincent is one of 100 local teenagers who were "starving for food" in an effort to raise money for children living in extreme poverty around the world. It's all a part of 30 Hour Famine, an annual nationwide event that gives teens the opportunity to make a difference and experience, even if only on a small scale, what it's like to go without food.

"We're trying to raise awareness about world hunger," said Tamara Anderson, a youth worker at Southeast Baptist Church.

The teens solicited donations in a variety of ways, then, for 30 hours, they ate nothing, consuming only liquids, while learning about global poverty and participating in service projects.

"We think we're so hungry," said 14-year-old Zach Robbins, "but these (impoverished) kids actually die from hunger."

Four churches united to organize the local event, its third year. The teens raised a total of $10,000. The money will be given to the humanitarian group World Vision, which sponsors the event nationally.

"The 30-hour famine money is specifically earmarked for emergency food for children in need in Third World countries," said Jamie White, youth director at Mount Olympus Presbyterian Church. "Since it's students raising the money, they use it to help other children."

Last year, the national event raised $12 million for children in need.

"It opened my eyes," said Vincent. "We, here in America, take so much for granted."
© 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company All rights reserved

Overall 30 Hour Famine was an amazing experience. I'm really glad that I got to be apart of it, and I cannot wait until next year! Oh, the picture above is a picture of my friend Haley and I in our box!