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Nazarene Youth International

NAZARENE YOUTH TO FEED 5,000 ST. LOUIS FAMILIES FOR A WEEK
Local Organizations Partner for Poor in Food Banks’ Most Challenging Season

St. Louis -– In what is traditionally the toughest season for the hungry -– summer, when school is out and day care costs for families increase –– young people from the Church of the Nazarene are preparing a significant boost for St. Louis’ food banks: the 9,600 high school students and youth leaders of Nazarene Youth Conference (NYC) 2007 are ready to donate, sort and re-pack enough food to feed 5,000 families for an entire week.

The Feeding of the 5,000 is more than a charity project; it’s an exercise in awareness, solidarity and response to issues of poverty and hunger, both in St. Louis and the rest of the world. NYC participants have been invited to bring up to 50 lbs. (the current airline weight limit for a second piece of checked luggage) of non-perishable food items to the city when they arrive on July 10, and will participate in a variety of hunger-related activities throughout the week-long conference. Through Operation Food Search, an organization that distributes resources to local food banks, an estimated 10,000 15-lb. boxes will be donated to more than 120 St. Louis-area food banks the following week.

“Feeding and clothing the poor is something that needs to happen now,” said 25-year-old Raquel Aparicio, who took five NYC students on a hunger-awareness trip to Malawi in June. “We’re young, but we have a lot of power in that, as youth, we can still educate ourselves about what’s happening around the world. NYC is a good venture because all the students here are part of high schools and youth groups, and we can go back and share what we’ve experienced, share the passion and have others join the cause as well.”

“Scripture tells us that Christ identified with the poor, with the hungry––and we are called to do the same,” said Dave Curtiss, USA/Canada Nazarene Youth International (NYI) Coordinator. “Christ embodies the poor and the hungry, and we are to minister to Christ in that way.”

A number of organizations have donated time and resources to make this project a reality. Wal-Mart, one of the event’s largest donors, has contributed ground beef for the food boxes, as well as packing materials, semi-trucks and laborers to drive donations to Operation Food Search on Saturday. Also received: 1,000 loaves of bread from Interstate Brand Corporation/Hostess; 5,000 cans of turkey from Mennonite Central Committee; food totes from Love Box; Applesauce from Leahy Orchards; trucking and reduced-cost shipping from Beaver Express and ViaTran Express.

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For more information on NYC 2007, or to schedule interviews and photo opportunities, contact Simone Finney at 314.267.4857 or e-mail her at simone.finney@gmail.com.

last updated: 07.10.07 WaterFireWind@nazarene.org © 2007