Long Neck UMC Youth will fast to fight world hunger Feb. 22 and 23

Wars and natural disasters dominate the world’s daily headlines, but behind the scenes and far from the spotlight, hunger and preventable diseases claim the lives of more than 20,000 of the world’s children every day. Nearly one billion people of the six billion on the planet go hungry every day.

For some families, the only food they have is whatever they can grow themselves. One drought or flood can wipe out a year’s harvest. When it does, there’s no supermarket or food bank they can turn to. Others can barely afford food despite their best efforts. Either way, hunger is anything but yesterday’s problem.  World hunger is 100 percent preventable, and teens from Long Neck United Methodist Church Youth are ready to help.

They will be joining the efforts of hundreds of thousands of young people all over the nation who will set aside the usual stuff that fills their daily lives. Instead, they will do World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22 and 23, by going without food and getting a taste of what the world’s poorest children and families face every day. Prior to the event weekend, students raise funds with the knowledge that every $30 they raise can help feed and care for a child for a month. Groups are also encouraged to perform hands-on service projects during the weekend in order to make a difference in their own communities.

Funds raised by 30 Hour Famine participants help feed and care for children in communities in need around the globe through World Vision. A portion of the funds raised assists families in need in the United States. Famine funds contribute to World Vision’s response in areas where famine, conflict and other crises make children vulnerable to hunger and preventable disease. Since 1992, 30 Hour Famine has raised close to $150 million, representing countless lives saved. World Vision works in nearly 100 countries, helping approximately 100 million people every year.