On December 19, dozens of business professionals, media personalities, community members, and charitable souls will fast for 24 hours to show Vancouver that Being Hungry Sucks.
The campaign was started last year after Mark Brand, owner of Save-On-Meats and founder of the A Better Life Foundation, wanted to provide a way for people to lend a hand to those going hungry on the streets.
“I came up with a campaign where I put them in someone’s shoes for 24 hours, and what that would actually look like,” Brand told Vancity Buzz.
Funds raised through Being Hungry Sucks go to support the A Better Life Foundation, and provide meal programs and job training for those in need. Brand says the success of last year’s event, has hopes high for this year.
“We’re very lucky that a bunch of our friends… jumped on board, took the challenge, and for the next month we’ll raise funds and try to feed 75,000 people,” he says.
Brand also says that while the fundraising is very much the focus, Vancouver’s charitable organizations benefit in another way all together.
“Half of the campaign is very more towards the food programming of next year. We will get those meals out regardless. We will find a way, but we need people’s help,” says Brand. “Secondly, it’s really great to expose the organizations like Megaphone, Atira, the Binners Project, The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, and people who do need more advocacy and folks pointed in their direction.”
Brand says that advocacy is the central goal of the campaign, and that if Vancouver will ever solve its problem, everyone needs to come together for support.
“It still astounds me how many people don’t understand what the core issues, and how they’re not being dealt with. A working society and a working community understands it’s issues, and rallies municipally behind them to fix them.”
For more information on how to support the Being Hungry Sucks campaign, visit them online.
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