Kids fast to promote awareness of world hunger
Grumbling stomachs plagued local youths this weekend, as they opted out of eating for 30 hours.
Youth groups across the Chicago region participated in the fasting to raise money and create awareness for world hunger.
About 40 youths from the United Methodist Church of Libertyville hoped to raise more than $7,200 this weekend by participating in the 30-hour Famine, said Youth Director Bill Russell.
"The ultimate concern here is raising money, and we aren't shy about letting people know," Russell said. "However this is about (young people) raising the money to get them aware and involved in doing something."
The group is one of nearly 300 youth groups in the Chicago area who are participating in the 30-hour Famine this year.
About 25 participants at Grace United Methodist Parish in Lake Bluff are fasting this weekend. Last weekend Grace Lutheran Church in Libertyville held its famine.
Each participant collected money from sponsors that will be donated to World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization putting on the event nationwide.
"This may be the first thing an eighth-grader has done in terms of involvement, and in all things we do, we're trying to get our kids involved," Russell said.
The event provides young people with a general awareness of conditions around the world, and also creates a desire to learn about social injustice, Russell said.
Some youth groups donated all their earnings to relief in Haiti, but the money collected by Russell's youth group will not specifically go to Haiti.
World Vision also helps to provide hunger relief where attaining sustainable food sources is a problem.
"We have great faith in World Vision to take the money and use it where it's needed," Russell said.
The eighth- through 12th-graders began fasting midday Friday and spent the night at the church playing games promoting hunger awareness. Participants consumed only liquids, provided by the church.
As part of the hunger awareness programming today, the group plans to help Cornerstone Community Outreach, a nonprofit group that helps homeless Chicagoans.
They plan on organizing donations and disposing unusable donations. Russell said the church plans to provide a dinner to the participants cooked by church members.