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Youth Ministry Question of the Month: Why a World Hunger Meal?
by: Gary G. Newman
Director of Youth Ministry
This past Fall the Confirmation Coordinating Committee sat down to brainstorm on what to do for a unique and motivating SALT Service Project with the 45 Confirmation youth in this year’s program. After having a great roundtable discussion, we heard from Andreas Klotz, our newest adult leader, how he and his family reached out to people in need on their last trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This was just the insight and connection to a need in the world we were looking for to inspire our youth to reach out!
Andreas told us of the countless poor families in this area of the world who live in the garbage dumps every day. They survive through digging in the enormous piles of garbage made by the resorts and wealthy people of the region to find “food” to feed themselves and their children. Imagine the filth and disease that exists in living in such a way! Yet, amongst this dump there exists a people who are gentle, loving, faith-filled, genuine – and in great need of help! The Klotz family heard about this community of sorts, and decided to take a day of their time in Mexico and help distribute rice and beans to the people in the dump. With the news of this on our mind and the Gospel teachings burning in our hearts, we knew we had to do something to help. We heard the Klotz family would be returning in late January to Mexico, and we felt we could raise money for this hunger relief effort and for the Archdiocesan effort as well.
Low and behold, the World Hunger Relief Meal (WHRM) was born. Now, with the great insights and support of the Confirmation youth and families, and many parishioners at large we successfully held our first WHRM on Saturday, January 12th. There we heard Andreas Klotz’s story as well as had Rob Schelledy, from the Archdiocesan Offices of Social Action, give a presentation on what our Catholic faith does on a regular basis to help people around the world who are starving every day.
We want to thank everyone who came and/or made donations for the WHRM ’08. We hope it is a tradition that lives on here at St. Mary Parish for many years to come. Know that after we paid the meal bills, all funds collected went directly hunger relief efforts in the Mexican dumps and around the world. We are grateful to the many youth and adults who helped to make this event the success it was, and thank God for the generosity of all the parishioners who gave to this cause.
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