30-Hour "Famine"

This weekend, I will be participating (for the fourth consecutive February) in World Vision's 30-Hour Famine fundraising program. For those unfamiliar with 30HF, it is an annual event during which church youth groups go without food from 12 noon Friday until 6:00PM Saturday. Saturdays are usually spent doing community service, and participants raise funds from sponsors. A few hundred thousand American youth -- and their hardy adult leaders -- participate each year, and millions of dollars are raised for relief projects like this one.

I love doing overnight retreats with the teens, but I am especially fond of 30-Hour Famine. There's nothing like the temporary deprivation of food and sugary drinks to create insta-community! The service project involves a trip to Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles, where my mostly privileged teens travel from street to street, tent to tent, meeting with and offering food to the homeless. Most of my kids (for that is what I call them) have never touched a homeless man or woman before; during the service project, they often shake hands and even embrace folks whom they would normally avoid. It is initially a frightening, and even repellant experience for some of the youth -- but without exception, they become excited and deeply moved as the day wears on.

I do have some problems with the whole weekend. For one thing, I have always hated the name "30-Hour Famine". I can't help but feel (as I have told a couple of people who work for World Vision), that calling a voluntary 30 hour period a famine somehow trivializes the horror of that word. The kids may learn compassion in a new and visceral way, but they are not enduring famine in any way remotely similar to those who are really suffering from malnutrition. I wish we called it "30-Hour Fast". But that sounds less ringingly dramatic, and I guess it ain't the biggest issue in the world. Doug Pagitt shares a similar thought today.

I also know full well that sending a group of largely well-off, largely white teenagers into the heart of the poorest neighborhood in L.A. can be read as a token gesture. Most of these teens will not regularly return to feed the homeless and to be involved in the work of charities and shelters who serve the poorest of the poor. (Thankfully, a few teens will get more permanently involved). The food that we will distribute this Saturday will make no long-term difference. In reality, the service project is more designed for the spiritual enlightenment of our kids than it is for the homeless folks whom we meet and feed. I have no doubt as to which group will remember it longer!

But in a very real sense, the work of 30-Hour Famine, despite its unfortunate appellation and patronizing tendencies, is still gospel work. And I do love doing it so! And, as a closing note, I have told the group that if they raise $5000, they get to do whatever they like to my hair -- shave it, give me a mohawk, color it, and so forth. I'm a little bit nervous, especially as my gal and I have tickets to the opera on Sunday night!

Comments

[Amy]

I think you're right about this one event not being something that is going to change the lives of the homeless, but as you said it is something that will (hopefully) stick with the kids. I was very active in my youth group years ago and we focused a lot on service projects. Those were some of the most fun, challenging, and eye-opening experiences of my life. Even though it's been years since I've gone to that church, those service projects stick with me, and I'd like to think that it's made me a lot more attentive to other peoples' needs. Sure, I'm certainly not any where close to selfless, but I do often go out of my way to help people, especially my family and friends. So in the long-run things like this can do a lot. And even if they don't, it beats spending the weekend watching the tube or hanging out at the mall.

I hope your kids raise enough money to dye your hair pink with green spots. The people at the opera will love it.

[Hugo]

I'm so glad, Amy, the lessons of your youth group stuck with you. That's comforting to know. Pink with green spots sounds utterly terrifying. But bring it on!

Thanks.

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The kids may learn compassion in a new and visceral way, but they are not enduring famine in any way remotely similar to those who are really suffering from malnutrition.