PERRYSBURG (WTOL) - Tuesday night, students and members of the Perrysburg community got a taste of what others, including those less fortunate, eat locally and around the world.
The Hunger Banquet at Zoar Lutheran Church gave students and members of the Perrysburg community a hands on, interactive opportunity to see how others live through the power of a meal.
"The majority of the world’s population is struggling just to feed themselves so not only do you get the visual but it also gives them that chance to experience it and feel it in a way that they wouldn’t,” said Tom Hosler, Superintendent of Perrysburg Schools.
“For the students to understand what that poverty feels like in a graphic way is probably one of the best life lessons,” said Ken Leslie, Advocate and Chairman of LifeMatters.org
The groups were split into three classes. Upper Class, who were served a fancier, three course meal. The middle class was served peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and the lower class ate plain rice while having to sit on the floor.
“If I were actually eating rice for every meal every day, that would suck and I’d be really hungry,” said freshman Emma Bohney.
“I could have just as likely been in the lower class and even more likely than that so it’s been a really eye opening experience to be honest with you,” said Mateo Gutierrez.
The Hunger Banquet’s just one of the main event’s leading into the Tent Event this weekend which will give people another chance to empathize and learn from those with so much less than others. Information about the event can be found here.
“Poverty is a powerful thing that can not only be in our own community, but can be in our own state, our own nation and certainly in our world,” said Leslie.