Kids Can Make A Difference: Kids Newsletter 5/98

May 1998, Volume 3 Number 4

Gorham, Maine Hunger Fair Empowers Students, Media and a U.S. Senator...

by Jan Twombly

What happens when two suburban Portland, Maine elementary classes learning about hunger are mixed with a citizen's lobby intent on generating the political will to end hunger and poverty? What if you stir in a U.S. Senator who cares about education and people? How about a student-led Hunger Fair commanding coverage on all four Portland TV stations, lots of newspaper articles, an editorial in the major Portland newspaper and one very inspired Senator?

In December, Melissa Martin's sixth grade class at the Jordan Small School in Raymond, Maine joined with Kelly Keene's fifth grade class at the Village Elementary School in Gorham to stage a Hunger Fair. The kids have been studying the "Finding Solutions to Hunger: Kids Can Make A Difference" curriculum. The Hunger Fair featured booths, where the kids educated visitors to the startling facts of hunger, beginning with the daily preventable deaths of 33,000 children under the age of 5. Each student was an expert on a particular aspect of the problem and had ready answers and printed material for visitors.

Among the people to tour the Fair were reporters from the ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC affiliates in Portland. All walked away with new personal knowledge and great footage that was broadcast that evening. The reporter from FOX stated to more than one of the adults present that he was astounded by the facts and figures, never mind that it was children who were educating him!

Charlie Summers, state director for Senator Olympia Snowe, also toured the Fair-and talked to nearly every kid present. In representing the Senator, Mr. Summers continued her support and activism in our government for helping women and children to end their own hunger and poverty, both internationally and in our country.

Senator Snowe has been a consistently outspoken proponent of providing funding for UNICEF, vaccinations and basic education for girls. Recently, she has agreed to introduce legislation to promote access to microcredit, tiny loans for the self-employment of poor women. Study after study has demonstrated how a few dollars in a mother's pocket immediately results in better food, health care and education for her children. Senator Snowe became aware of KIDS through a meeting Ms. Martin and Ms. Keene attended in October. The meeting was organized by RESULTS, a citizen's lobby dedicated to generating the political will to end hunger and poverty. It was at this meeting that Senator Snowe agreed to introduce the microcredit legislation. RESULTS volunteers support KIDS as a great vehicle for educating the next generation of citizen activists.

The idea for the Hunger Fair came about as the KIDS' teachers, RESULTS volunteers and KIDS' founders, Jane and Larry Levine, sought a means to promote KIDS, publicize and support Senator Snowe's efforts, involve the students in a fun and educational project and let people know of opportunities for activism. From my vantagepoint as RESULTS' New England Regional Coordinator, we were successful on all counts!

The kids who participated in the Hunger Fair sum up the day better than anyone else can:

"It was as if we were the hungry's voice."
Rachel Deans

"I feel so great because I made a difference today."
Colin Staab

Jan Twombly is the New England Regional Coordinator for RESULTS and a member of the Caucus for Congressional Leadership. Ms. Twombly is a business advisor and certified public accountant and is a shareholder in the firm of Levine, Zeidman & Daitch, P.C. of Needham, MA.

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For further information on the program and how you can become involved, contact: kids@kidscanmakeadifference.org.

Click here to go to World Hunger Year's home page.