Local Teens Go Hungry to Raise Awareness

A group of Durham and Middlefield teens are hoping to raise awareness of hunger around the world by going hungry themselves.

This weekend, the teens participated in World Vision's 30 Hour Famine, an event that brings attention to starvation throughout the world by allowing young people to experience the impact of hunger, firsthand.

"Experiencing what it feels like for all these kids and all these people around the world, this is what it feels like all the time and that's pretty crazy. It's really tiring," says Libby, one of the more than two dozen teens who stopped eating at noon on Friday.

The group gathered Friday night at Middlefield Federated Church, which has sponsored the event for the past eight years. By noon on Saturday the teens had just six hours left before they could eat again.

"People get really cranky," one of the teens explains.

"We need to keep mindful of the people that we are working for, because we are working right now, and those 20,000 children a day. Let's bring that number down," youth minister Marilyn Keurajian says during a brief prayer.

One in seven people in the world go hungry each day, according to World Vision.

The church group hopes to raise $2,325, every $30 of which is able to feed one child for a month.

Visit the group's website to make a donation before March 1

"You can make a difference. A dollar can make a difference," says Anna.

During the 30 hour period, members of the group drink water, juice and tea to stay hydrated. They also participate in challenges that bring home the impact of hunger.

"During the challenges, to learn about what refugees have to face I have to wear a heavy jacket because I'm feverish. Someone has to wear earplugs because they're partially deaf," explains Seth.

In addition to participating in the 30 hour famine, each member of the group is asked to write a letter to a veteran thanking them for their service as part of a service project.