SAN FERNANDO : Youths Plan 30-Hour Fast to Raise Funds

A group of local teen-agers will fast for 30 hours this month in an effort to raise money to help feed victims of the Kobe earthquake, starving families in Third World countries and the homeless in the United States.

About 35 young adults belonging to the San Fernando Valley Christian Fellowship have agreed to participate in World Vision Inc.’s annual “30-Hour World Famine” international hunger drive. World Vision is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that raises money to help more than 46 million people in 97 countries.

Last year, more than $1.3 million was raised by volunteers.

Involved in community activities throughout the year, the teen-agers are part of a youth group at the Christian Fellowship designed to build self-esteem and community awareness among children in poor neighborhoods.

In addition to taking part in projects such as food and clothing drives for the area’s homeless, the youths attempt to work out problems in school or at home with Christian Fellowship counselors in nonviolent ways that will help them earn respect.

“We encourage them to continually work on relationships with their parents and with themselves,” said Karan Henderson, a Christian Fellowship youth director. “One of our objectives is to show these young adults that there’s a lot more to life than what’s inside the barrio.”

With that objective in mind, Henderson, a regular donor to World Vision, suggested the upcoming hunger drive to her group during a recent meeting. The group’s response, she said, was enthusiastic.

“They all wanted to be part of it,” Henderson said. “People have a certain concept of teens being self-centered.”

With all of the social and economic elements working against inner-city teen-agers today, Henderson said, this group reacted with compassion.

Knocking on the doors of friends and family members in preparation for the event, the teen-agers have collected about $400 so far. They will conduct the fast from Friday, Feb. 24 at 1 p.m. until Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m.

On the morning of Feb. 25, the youths plan to test their willpower by distributing food to the homeless in Hansen Dam Park in Lake View Terrace. “Whether or not they stick to their commitment is entirely up to them,” Henderson said. “I won’t be checking up on them to see if they have Twinkie breath or not.”

But, Henderson said she is confident the group’s resolve is strong. “Their attitude is that people have to live like that all of the time, (while) they are only doing this for a day,” she said.

To sponsor the Christian Fellowship’s hunger drive, call (818) 882-6400. Or to participate in the 30-hour fast, call (800) 7-FAMINE.