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Hunger Meals

Simulate what it is like to live in hunger or poverty and eat a "hunger meal"

The goal of a hunger meal is to simulate the reality of hunger and poverty. A hunger meal provides a way to put our own faces on the hungry in the world, to experience some of the dynamics that shape the lives of hungry people, and to hear Jesus call to action. An ideal time to hold a hunger meal is at the transition from Epiphany to Lent or during the Lenten season (such as when many congregations hold weekly Lenten suppers) to help participants increase awareness of the causes of hunger and explore connections between faith and care of God's creation. The meal can be a catalyst for change in participants' lives as it offers a real, hands-on look at what hunger is.

A Hunger Meal
by Patty Stringer and Melissa Pavolka

This hunger simulation meal for congregations was originally written for use on The Transfiguration of Our Lord, the Last Sunday after the Epiphany.

Introduction:
During the season of Epiphany, we celebrate God's light in the world. On this Transfiguration Sunday, we pray that Christ's reign of justice and peace will illumine all of God's people with the light of hope. The goal of a hunger meal is to experience the reality of hunger and poverty by putting our own faces on hungry people in the world and to call us to action as we move into the season of Lent. This meal, and the follow-up discussion, stations and worship, are to work together to increase awareness of hunger issues, explore connections between faith and care of God's creation, and encourage changes in how we live our lives to make us better stewards of our world.

Instructions:
Randomly assign participants to one of three socio-economic levels. Oxfam America recommends the following distribution ratios which reflect world-wide reality:

• 15% of participants enjoy a full-course meal served in a fine-dining setting;
  
• 25% of participants will eat a meager meal of rice and vegetables in a simple setting;
  
• the remaining 60% of participants will eat a bowl of rice.

Prior to the event:
Form a committee to coordinate the various aspects of the meal. You might recruit help from the youth of the congregation, women's/men's groups, Sunday church school participants and senior groups. Delegate the following responsibilities among your committee members:

• Determine where the dinner will be held, and publicize the event (see below - suggested text for an announcement).
   
• Discuss with your pastor the possibility of a Eucharist celebration to close the meal. Explore alternative worship settings and Eucharist distribution with your pastor and organist. (see below - suggested hymns)
   
• Consider how you will determine socio-economic levels for participants. You may wish to distribute color-coded tickets randomly as participants enter the dining hall. For example, if you are planning a meal for 100 participants, distribute 60 blue tickets (rice only), 25 green tickets (rice and vegetables), and 15 yellow tickets (full-course dinner). Be sensitive to how fasting affects people with dietary issues like hypoglycemia, diabetes, etc. These participants may need to request additional servings of food.
   
• Determine the menu for the banquet, and purchase food. For the full course dinner, consider using the following menu: broiled fish, rice pilaf, salad, fresh fruit, drinks and dessert. Keep in mind that you only need to prepare this menu for 15 participants per 100 guests served. (see below - rice recipe)
   
• Obtain candles for use during the meal or in the concluding worship. Consider making candle bobeches (drip protectors) from purple/lavender card stock. Have the Sunday school children embellish the bobeches with drawings, stickers and the names of hunger or disaster relief agencies, companion congregations and synods, a local food pantry, etc. Encourage participants to use the candle throughout Lent and to pray for the agency represented on their bobeche. On the edge of the bobeche, include the ELCA World Hunger Appeal logo and a brief prayer.
   

Select facilitators to sit among the participants to lead a discussion during and following the meal. Some questions they may want to ask
may be:

• What does it feel like to eat a meager meal?
  
• What does it feel like to be fed when others are not?
  
• What would it be like to eat this way all of the time?
  
• Who are the rich and poor in our community?
  
• How might we do a better job of caring for the hungry?
  

Be sure to allow time to share each groups' discussion points with the large group.

• Research and order hunger resources (see drop-down menu at the top of this page, or click here) to use to educate participants about hunger issues. Many resources are intergenerational. Have volunteers develop several interactive, educational stations throughout the room to facilitate hunger awareness. Following the meal and discussion, encourage participants to visit the stations. Allow at least 30 minutes for participants to visit the stations prior to the closing worship.
  

Additional suggestions

• Set up a television and VCR in the dining area so that you can show a MOSAIC video prior to/following the meal. (Click here for hunger-related MOSAIC issues and other hunger-related videos with ordering information.)
   
• Distribute Lenten calendars (World Hunger Appeal 40-day calendar) and World Hunger Appeal coin banks following the Eucharist meal. (Click here for ordering information.)
   
• Provide resource information for hunger advocacy, such as sample letters or Web site information. (Two World Hunger Appeal advocacy partners: the ELCA Washington Office and Bread for the World.)
   
• Encourage participants to volunteer at a local food pantry or homeless
  shelter. If possible, have a representative present to answer questions and schedule volunteers!
   
• Serve fairly traded coffee and tea at the meal and during fellowship hours. Provide information about the Lutheran World Relief Coffee Project and Equal Exchange for your members. Establish a "fresh pot of coffee" in your fellowship area where members may purchase bags of Equal Exchange coffee and boxes of tea every Sunday.

Suggested text for use in bulletin or newsletter announcement

Everyone is invited to a hunger simulation meal on Sunday, (insert date), at [include time and location]. Come and walk with your brothers and sisters in Christ with a global feast you are not soon to forget. Be transformed in fellowship, servitude and gratitude.

Suggested hymns for closing worship

I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light With One Voice 649

Shine, Jesus, Shine WOV 651

I, the Lord of Sea and Sky WOV 752

We Come to the Hungry Feast WOV 766

Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service LBW 423

O God of Mercy, God of Light LBW 425

Oven Cooked Rice for a Crowd

• 3 qt. white rice
• 7 qt. hot water
• 7 tsp. salt

Spray two large roasters or other baking dishes with nonstick cooking spray. Combine rice, water and salt. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. (Serves 50)