Students forgo food for fundraiser

By Jennifer Grybowski
Turley Publications Reporter

STURBRIDGE - Some might say that their teenagers eat them out of house and home. But nearly 30 teenagers at Tantasqua Regional High School didn’t eat anything during a 24-hour period from March 10 to March 11. The students participated in a fast to raise awareness about hunger, and as of presstime raised $1,600 to fight it as donations continue to roll in.
TRHS Special Education instructor Martha Nijssen spearheaded the project. She said she thought fasting would be a great way to impact the students.
“I really agree with getting out of your comfort zone and feeling hunger,” Nijssen said. “It can be a life-changing experience. Most of these kids have never fasted before.”
“Fasting is a lush spiritual discipline,” Dr. Daniel O’Neill said. “There is a good reminder to be conscientious. It promotes solidarity with people who are hungry.”
Nijssen asked Sawyer, TRHS school-to-career specialist, to be involved because she works with students on character development.
“I’m encouraged by the number of kids who chose to fast,” Sawyer said.
The students gathered in the auditorium before lunch to hear a presentation by O’Neill, a family physician from Putnam, Conn. He talked about hunger throughout the world, child labor, the chronic cycle of poverty due to lack of education, life expectancy, human development index in developing countries, the lack of infrastructure, healthcare, clean food and fresh water in these countries. O’Neill has been traveling around the world, at least yearly, since he was in medical school, delivering healthcare and doing missionary work.
“I feel it is my social responsibility based on my beliefs,” he said. “It helps to broaden my understanding of the world in an effort to do something.”
After the presentation, the students moved to the cafeteria to break their fast together with lunch.
“It doubles the appreciation for food to break the fast together,” O’Neill said.
The Cornerstone Café baked fresh bread for the group to share. The students then ate their normal lunches. But before they ate, they had a group discussion about their experiences.
“I went home last night and I was just thinking about tomorrow and what I was going to eat,” said Elena Gillis, a senior from Brimfield. “And then I felt really guilty about that when people are like this for months at a time.”
Ken Farrell, a freshman from Sturbridge, said he was tempted by food often. He said he was responsible for cooking dinner for his little sisters.
“And I never noticed how many food commercials are on TV,” he said.
Farrell said he was motivated to fast because he was so affected by Hurricane Katrina. Since then, he has been trying to do as much humanitarian work as possible.
“It is difficult when other family members are eating,” Sawyer said.
Becca Emmetts, senior from Brookfield, was also tempted – she works at a grocery store. Said it was also hard because her mother did a lot of baking while she fasted.
“It’s a lot different when you have access to food and to fast, and having no access to food,” O’Neill said. “It’s being conscientious of those who don’t have a choice.”
Sarah Bessette, junior from Brimfield, said she decided to fast because of her religious beliefs, and plans on doing missionary work in the future.
“Whenever I felt hungry, I would pray and the hunger would go away,” she said. “It was a deep experience for me.”
Although the students ate the regular amount for lunch, they said they felt very full. In fact, some said they had to push themselves to finish their meals. They also said their energy was low all morning, and that it was difficult for them to think in class while they were so hungry.
Patrice Metcalf, a junior from Brookfield, couldn’t fast food, so she decided to fast wearing makeup instead.
“At first it was alright but today I looked in the mirror and it was harder,” she said.
Several faculty members also fasted. All those that fasted were allowed to drink water or juice.
In addition to the personal experiences gained by fasting, the students also fasted as a fundraiser. Parents, friends and faculty sponsored the students to fast. Half of the money raised will go toward World Vision, a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. The school started working with World Vision two years ago, and raised enough money to purchase 12 Aids Caregiver Kits.
“They are an outstanding group,” Njissin said.
They decided to donate the other half of the funds locally, as they are sure there is a need for it.
“We have some students here who for them, lunch at school is their main meal,” Sawyer said. “It’s really close to home.”
Nijssen said she’d like to do the fast every year.
She also had some other ideas she said she’d like to try, such as getting a group of students together to sleep outside in solidarity of the homeless.