Youth Summit Contributor: Emily Shaud
Students at Marian Catholic High School have been participating with Catholic Relief Services to provide as much as we can to people suffering from poverty and hunger. Last year we collected $1,820 from all the rice bowls over Lent. In our efforts to help in a small way to others that need it we also received an award from Catholic Relief Services. We were rewarded with the CRS Global High School at the Platinum Level award that only a few other schools have been awarded in the country.
In addition to rice bowls we also held a hunger banquet. This consisted of a PowerPoint presentation that showed the different levels of classes and the daily life of a person in that class. As students entered the gym they were randomly handed a colored piece of paper that separated them into each class. A few amount of students were placed on the stage posing as upper class, a little more students sitting at chairs and tables identifying as middle class and majority of students sitting on the floor representing the lower class. The upper class were treated to Dunkin Donuts, the middle class were served cereal with milk and fruit, and the lower class had lettuce used as bowls for rice along with dirty water (soda mixed with water). We tried to display the struggle of the people we are trying to help.
This project is one we are very passionate about because it is amazing to see how much one small school can help many people across the world. It is humbling to know that we have helped a hungry person in maybe Africa get the nutrition they need to survive the rest of the day. Not only do we aid those in need, but we also learn other key principles through the process. These principles consist of being thankful of what we have, to always give out of the compassion of your heart, and recognize that we are all the same but other may just need a little help.