Many have called it a perfect storm. Failed harvests, interest in biofuels, and growing appetites from developing countries (among a number of other factors) have led to what many now call a global food crisis. In total over 30 countries have been hit with riots from violent protests all over the cost of food. Violent riots in Cameroon alone claimed the lives of 24 people. Starving protestors in Haiti, some of which have resorted to eating cookies made of sugar oil and mud, forced their prime minister to resign.
In other parts of the world, governments have been scrambling to deal with the soaring coast of food. The Egyptian army for example has been ordered to bake bread while the Philippines have made hoarding rice punishable by life imprisonment.
Elsewhere, Japan is running out of butter due to the rising price of feed for cows and in America retail giants Sam’s Club and Costco have begun to ration rice for fear that the rising cost of foreign imports may cause hoarding.
In short, over the span of the last few months, the thought calling the current food shortage a global food crisis has become painfully apt. Perhaps one of the more hard news items that have come down the wire is that World Vision has been forced to cut aid for 1.5 million individuals around the world due to rising food costs.
Some members of Tapestry’s High School group will be participating in the Thirty Hour Famine, an event headed by World Vision where they fast for 30 hours in order to raise money for food. During that time, we invite the congregation to join with us in trying to shine the spotlight on global hunger. Skip a meal and spend time praying for the issue. The kids will be doing the same during meals as well so feel free to come by the church and join us. Friday May 16th at 7:00, Saturday May 17th at 9:00 and Saturday May 17th at 12:00. The food bank box is also hungry for donations every sunday!
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30 Hours for Change
The 30 Hour Famine is a World Vision event in 21 countries gucci watches . It started in 1971 when 14 Calgary, Alberta teenagers staged an event in a church basement to raise money for World Vision.
David L. Wylie, a nondenominational youth leader, jump-started the movement in the United States about seventeen years ago as a youth director of Millen Baptist Church in South Georgia. He was looking for a way to stimulate the interest of his 25-member youth watch winder group in world hunger issues when he heard the idea of a voluntary hunger strike from World Vision. His group raised $3,000 that year, $5,000 the next and was featured on CNN Headline News and Wylie was nominated by Congressman Lindsey Thomas for a Presidential Point of Light Award.Wylie was also recognized by the Georgia House of Representatives, the Georgia Senate citizen watches , and numerous Georgia governors for his efforts to get youth involved in hunger causes by using the 30-Hour Famine program.