Parents
A newsletter for parents of Bethel University students
Hearts for Service
Broken Bread Event Underscores Global\ Hunger Issues
By Patty Thomson
On Wednesday, November 7, grilled chicken or Philly-style cheese steak
were on the menu at Bethel’s Market Square. Dining Center customers
could select spaghetti and meatballs, chicken fried rice, and pizza, or
enjoy marinated mushrooms, luscious strawberries, and other goodies in
the salad line.
Despite these tempting offerings, approximately 500 students, staff, and faculty took part in Broken Bread, opting for a bowl of porridge and a glass of water. A simple meal by American standards, but for many in the world, servings of this corn-soy blend are the only means to sustain life.
“Porridge is what many people around the world eat during an emergency food distribution,” says senior Katie Campana, a social work major and member of the Bethel Student Social Work Association (BSSWA).
The Broken Bread simulation was designed to create an awareness of people whose lives have been ravished by the cycle of AIDS, poverty, and hunger. Organized by Bethel groups (including World Challenge, Acting on AIDS, BSSWA, Sodexho food services, and the Office of Campus Ministries), the simulation has links to World Vision’s Acting on AIDS efforts. Participants paid $5 for their meal, and profits were given to Second Harvest, the Midwest’s largest hunger-relief organization, based in St. Paul.