By Brixton Sandhals
I RECENTLY participated in a fundraiser for Terrace’s local food bank in association with Centennial Christian School.
On September 15, at precisely 9 p.m., my peers and I each went hungry so that others didn’t have to, thus beginning the annual 24-hour famine. Prior to beginning the fast, each participating member of the high school had gone out and collected donations, and a total of $1,757.11 was raised, in pledges, from the Terrace community to be directly donated to the Terrace Churches’ Food Bank.
On top of the money raised for the community, cans of non-perishables were collected after small groups of us went door-to-door around town. But the benefits of the famine were far greater than simply going out and supplying food and money.
The Famine gives us the opportunity to step into the shoes of the hungry around us; it gives us a chance to stitch hope into the lives of our less fortunate, and it takes the focus off ourselves and puts it onto the community we live in, and to those struggling to get by.
Most importantly, the Famine puts things into perspective. Sitting by Lakelse, where the bulk of our activities were held, under the shelter gave me a lot to think about.
I sat there staring out into the cold, my stomach hollow, begging me for something, and I started to try to process the fact that there are people within our own community who feel this exact way ... all of the time.
It was a bit of a disturbing idea, and even after 24 hours without food, I don’t think I can really say that I fully understand the situation so many people must endure.
I really wish that a day on an empty stomach would do the trick, but it really doesn’t.
What it did do for me though was wake me up a little bit. I think it’s fair to say that most of us are naive to the world of hunger, hunger in Terrace. A day without food sort of shook me out of my comfort zone, and I was finally forced to open my eyes and at least take a look at the world I let, so often, blow right by.
The Famine is one aspect of my school life that I will probably miss most; it’s taught me benevolence, compassion, and most importantly, the Famine taught me a lot about how to humble myself. I strongly recommend to anyone to participate in events like these.
The Famine has ultimately unlocked our potential to make a change in Terrace.
A day on an empty stomach might make all the difference in the life of someone who could just live down the street.