This page provides links to:
- What - Information on hunger and poverty
- How - How to be involved in feeding the hungry
- What Else - supplemental activities or resources that can support practicing this work of mercy found on the web
On the works of mercy:
Youth Update from St. Anthony Messenger Press on the works of mercy
Information on Hunger:
From the Peacebuilders website - a previous activity section on hunger includes Cook County statistics as well as activities.
Information on International Hunger basics and statistics from Bread for the World.
Information on Hunger in America
Information on Hunger in Illinois from Illinois Hunger Coalition.
Youth Update from St. Anthony Messenger Press on facing hunger in this land of plenty.
www.shc.edu/theolibrary/hunger.htm
www.thehungersite.com
How
Create "hope-bags" for the hungry. This activity started at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Houston, Texas in 2003, and continues as an interfaith outreach now to people who are hungry and living on the streets. It's an example of what one group can do, and how they can continue to make a difference by spreading the word.
Adopt a village with needs from Catholic Relief Services? Could the youth of your school do this? Have the youth of your parish be the ones who bring this to your parish's attention and organize it along with your social ministry committee?
Oxfam America is a Boston-based international development and relief agency and an affiliate of Oxfam International. Working with local partners, Oxfam delivers development programs and emergency relief services, and campaigns for change in global practices and policies that keep people in poverty. There are many interactive hunger awareness resources on their website, including detailed instructions for planning a hunger banquet with your school or parish. See www.hungerbanquet.org
Here's a resource called "Building Meals" - planning for a Thanksgiving activity in advance.
Does your school or parish already have outreaches to the hungry? How can the young people in your group/activity/class partner with those outreaches? How can they bring a new vibrancy to this work?
Learn about the lives of saints and those who have come before us in faith who have been about the work of feeding the hungry. What can we learn about what we would do from them? Francis of Assisi, Vincent de Paul, Elizabeth of Hungary, Louise de Marillac, Martin de Porres, Mother Teresa of Calcutta,
Action and Reflection
Provide a profile of a young person who makes a difference in the world through their commitment to feed the hungry. Make sure you get parents' or guardians' permission. DisciplesNow.com is a site for Catholic teens on the web. Browse through the other profiles and see how you might use the stories there as models for the young people in your group/class/activity.
Sponsoring a Catholic Relief ServicesFood Fast program at your parish or school, and/or www.foodfast.org
Multimedia arts project The Catholic Campaign for Human Development sponsors this project on ending poverty - youth project. Invite your school or parish youth to take part in this as an outcome to some of the activities on hunger.
Here is another link from CCHD to educate youth people on the project theme which could be used whether or not you take part in the arts project.
More resources on hunger
Poem/prayer experience on God's Hands and Our Hands
Poem by a young person on poverty
