A taste of poverty
might be leaving as hungry as they came. Others were so full that they couldn’t finish their desserts.
The difference between the two groups had nothing to do with the price they paid for admission or the order in which they arrived. The groups were decided by luck of the draw and were supposed to show the ratios of high-, middle- and low-income people in the world.
Each group got to eat only the kind and amount of food that went with their level of income. Those in the low-income category even had to sit on the floor and eat with their hands while people in the high-income category enjoyed a three-course meal at decorated tables.
Students Together Ending Poverty (STEP) sponsored the event with the help of Oxfam America. STEP Director Benjamin Szilagyi said the purpose of the banquet was to raise awareness of hunger and poverty.
“It’s better than your average event,” Szilagyi said. “It’s kind of a visual aid to express the division of the world.”
During the event, members of STEP served statistics about hunger and poverty along with the food. In their presentation, they said 1.8 billion people live in poverty, struggling to get the basic needs of life. Organizations like STEP and Oxfam are dedicated to raising the standard of living for people world wide, they said.
But world hunger was only part of the focus of the banquet. Matt Whitaker, director of the Cache Valley Food Pantry, spoke about hunger issues much closer to home. Whitaker said about 100 families in Logan have to get help from the food pantry every week. During the holidays, that number can almost double, sometimes reaching as many as 180 families. The food pantry also helps support senior citizens, after-school clubs and boys and girls clubs.
Whitaker said he was surprised by the willingness of people to donate food and time when he began working at the food pantry three years ago. Whitaker said he wished that the individuals and companies that support the food pantry could hear the outpouring of thanks that he receives from families who have been helped.
“Really, I just redistribute what the community does,” Whitaker said.
Whether it’s the efforts of a food bank like the Cache Valley Food Pantry or those of an international service organization like Oxfam, every little step against poverty and hunger counts for something, Whitaker said. Students who want to get involved in the fight against hunger can find out more about STEP in the Val R. Christensen Service Center on the third floor of the TSC. Those interested in learning more about Oxfam America can visit their Web site at www.oxfamamerica.org.
-rachhamat@cc.usu.edu