Posted: 3/1/06
Taking care of Hunger
 The youths participating in St. Gregoryís 30-hour fast last weekend collected bags and bags of food for the local food pantry as part of the learning process of what it means to be hungry. |
By Patrick Tepoorten
While most kids countywide likely spent the bulk of their weekend playing video games, ětexting,î and chatting on their cell phones, 19 young people, primarily members of St. Gregoryís youth group, spent the weekend learning valuable lessons about poverty and famine.
Starting Friday afternoon, the youth group began a 30-hour fast as part of World Visionís 2006 National Famine. Allowed only water and juice until Sunday evening, participants spent the weekend at St. Gregoryís learning about the hardships people face who live in countries with deep poverty.
On Saturday, the group went door to door to collect donations for the North Branch Food Pantry as well as donations for World Vision. Stephanie Johnson, interim director of Youth Ministry at St. Gregoryís estimated that the kids collected 250 pounds of food.
Continued from front
The weekend wasnít all struggle and hunger pains for the group though. Jerome Djam of the Chisago Lakes Achievement Center, and who hails from Cameroon originally, spent the weekend at St. Gregoryís and showed the students many games children played in his part of the world.
Cassie Strenger, 16, found the experience very rewarding. ěItís great that we get a chance to help people in Africa and even people here,î she said, adding, ěNow I really canít complain when Iím hungry.î
Likewise, Cody Risen, also 16, grew because of the experience. ěI learned that it is way worse in other parts of the world. It makes me kind of glad I was born in the U.S. I will take it more into consideration how much I am really blessed.î
The youth group capped off the weekend with a pizza party and a bit more appreciation for the struggles and hardships facing youth growing up in countries less fortunate than their own.
For more information on the National Famine, go to www.worldvision.org.
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