Yesterday, Tammy came in to talk about Bread for the World. It seemed as if they were a mix of a lobbyist group and a service group. She had a lot of facts about hunger and also pictures from her travels to different countries. We were told to pick one of the facts, pictures, or posters that caught our attention. We then explained why it jumped out at us. She shared some personal stories about her experiences with Bread for the World. We were also told why we should write to our government representatives about meeting our nation’s goal of giving so much to end poverty.
Having Tammy come into to talk about her organization is similar to when that one guy came in and had we do a hunger simulation. Both times we learned about an organization that is out in the world trying to benefit the poor. The message was the same from both people: do something once you’ve heard me speak. Tammy wants us to write letters and the hunger simulation guy wanted us to tell people about the simulation and how it might help people understand hunger.
What really struck me was the piece of paper that Tammy had which represents the yearly budget for the United States. How can we spend so much money on ourselves and then give a sliver of it to the rest of the world? Do we not realize how much impact we could have if we gave only $10 billion to end hunger? We spend $10 billion on the war in Iraq in just a few days. If we wanted to pick a war that we could actually win, we should fight a worldwide war on poverty. Instead of terrorism, let’s fight poverty. Then other nations will see that we actually care about humanity instead of hating those that hate us. No one can see how much we care if they only see us hate our enemies.
March 2007 Archives
Last Wednesday, some of us went to Feed My Starving Children (FMSC.) We arrived all in one piece thanks to Greta’s amazing driving skills. We were told to fill out a form and then put on hairnets and an apron. Then we were introduced to the place and we watched a movie about how Feed My Starving Children is having an impact in the world. Next, we were instructed about how to package the bags of food. I was the person that would put the bag under the chute and I also put the rice in. After we were done, we cleaned everything up and had a sample of what the food tasted like. Then we left for college.
Volunteering at this place was an experience unlike anything else that we have done so far this semester. The only other time where we have actually helped people in need was at neighborhood house. Just like at neighborhood house, we sacrificed our time to get to know immigrants so that they could practice their English. At FMSC, I also got to know the people I was helping by packaging their food. Every time I put a cup of rice into the bag, I thought about how someone was going to have some food for a day. I always wondered if I should put some more in just so that they may have one more swallow of food. I got to know those starving people by being their cook.
When I was thinking about if I was putting enough in the bag or not, I was asking myself, what if they need just one more bite? I have the power to give them one more bite so I should make sure I put as much rice in as allowed. Even though it was a matter of only 20 mg, I was thinking about this. Sometimes I feel like I’m starving. I realize that I am also a child and that I too need to be feed. Maybe not always with actual food, but with spiritual food. I guess one way to being feed spiritually is to feed others.
The movie amazing grace follows the story of a man named Wilberforce who during his lifetime works to abolish the slave trade in England. He was a political activist in Parliament for years until some new friends convinced him to put a moral issue into action. Based upon his Christian based morals and the encouragement and support of his friends, he fought fiercely for the abolition of the slave trade. His fight was inspired by the song Amazing Grace which was written by the priest that told him to fight slavery. In the end, his goal of abolishing the slave trade was finished.
This can relate to parts of the film concerning LBJ’s war on poverty. In that movie, the black people were still feeling the impact of slavery in the south. They were stilled viewed as inferior even after the civil war called an end to slavery. Wilberforce fought to provide the slaves with human rights just as LBJ was fighting to give human rights to families that were too poor to afford them. This included not just blacks, but also many white families who were in just as bad of shape. Color didn’t matter in LBJ’s war because he saw that poor folk deserve to have the same economic opportunities as that of the rich. Wilberforce fought because he saw that the black brethren have the right to opportunities that were being provided to people in England and America.
This movie sends the message that one person can make a huge difference. Sometimes that impact is felt on a worldwide scale such as that of Wilberforce. But it can be as small as providing hope to just one single person. God commands us to not conform to the things of the world but to be transformed by the renewing of the Holy Spirit. The movie did a wonderful job of showing that Wilberforce was a man who did not allow the world to shape his behavior. He was transformed into a man who brought life to humans who were considered beasts. If God did that with Wilberforce, certainly he will do similar things within my life so that his message of love may reach the corners of the earth.
The movie in class on Friday was a documentary about the impact of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Testimonies by ordinary citizens, the governor and mayor, and some others conveyed what was going on when the hurricane hit and the following response to the flood damage due to the breeched levees. Pictures and video footage of the hurricane showed the devastation that it caused. The citizens told their stories of how they either stayed or left, the mayor gave testimony to his struggle with getting the federal government involved, and the CNN reporter told of her interview with the man in charge of FEMA. However biased the movie was or wasn’t, it gave the facts about how terrible it was the day the levees broke.
This film can be connected with the film about LBJ’s war on poverty. Both films document a crisis within this country. There is a difference between the two events: one was a man-made crisis and the other was a natural crisis. However, many man-made crises came from the natural disaster which then sets them on similar terms. The hurricane struck an unprepared city which in turn struck an unprepared nation. Everyone figured that the hurricane really wouldn’t do that much damage. We assumed that it wasn’t really that threatening. The same goes for the poverty that was going on in the 1960’s. The majority of people were ignorant to it because it wasn’t happening to them. But LBJ brought it to the forefront because people were in need. The disaster caused by the hurricane brought the need to restore people and property to the forefront of this nation.
I can relate to this film because I was just recently in New Orleans. It is interesting to see what the city looked like when it was flooded and to hear the reactions of the people who were interviewed. Also it was good to have a grasp on the story of events that happened. It was a horrendous event that caused a lot of trouble for a lot of people. But it is important to point out the opportunities that are now open to share love with people that need it.
