Most Americans don’t know what it’s like to go to bed hungry, but joining others in forgoing food Saturday will not only raise awareness for those who know the feeling of gnawing stomach all too well--it will generate revenue for the fight against hunger.
Justin Rudd’s locally-based nonprofit organization, the Community Action Team, has staged numerous charity events in Long Beach, but the 24-Hour Long Beach Hunger Strike is transcending borders. For each participant who fasts from 10 a.m. Saturday-10 a.m. Sunday, CAT will donate $24 with an overall goal of raising $100,000 for hunger prevention programs both here and abroad.
The initial $5,000 raised will benefit AIDS orphans in Kenya via Tumaini International, an organization Rudd worked with during a recent trip to Africa, with the rest of the proceeds slated for hungry mouths right here in Long Beach.
While only one lunch and a dinner are being skipped, doing so is a challenge for many and a show of solidarity for the one in six human beings on this planet who go to bed hungry--that's more than a billion people everyday.
That staggering number is comparable to the one in seven Angelenos go to bed hungry on a regular basis, according to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. With a polulation of about eight million people, that means more than a million people are missing meals, including 400,000 children.
Lack of food caused by poverty is a wordlwide problem and it effects on the youngest members of any society can be profound. According to UN estimates, a child dies of starvation or a related affliction every ten seconds, making malnutrition a direct or contributing cause in 33-50 percent of all preventable child deaths.
Those wishing to join the cause to feed hungry mouths can do so for free and without advance registration by sending a confirmation email with name, age and city to Justin@JustinRudd.com by Sunday. Teenagers wishing to join the hunger strike must have a parent email permission.
Participants are allowed to drink water and some juice, and will be encouraged to eat a hearty breakfast before commencing with the food-free day. Chewing gum and consuming caffeineted drinks is discouraged.
For more information about the hunger strike, click here, or read on for the following Fasting Facts from CAT:
IS FASTING SAFE?
- Going without food for 24 hours is safe for most people.
WHO CAN NOT PARTICIPATE?
- The following are NOT allowed to participate in this program:
- those living outside the Southern California area,
- those under age 12,
- pregnant or nursing women,
- the elderly,
- those with certain medical conditions or eating disorders.
WE WANT PARTICIPANTS TO:
- Experience hunger by going without food for 24 hours.
- Learn about hunger and what is needed to fight poverty and injustice.
Organizers ask participants to post hunger facts on the group’s Facebook fan page: “24-Hour Long Beach Hunger Strike.”
