From Alana J. Mauger, director of communications for Montgomery County Community College:

For 30 hours in early March, a group of Montgomery County Community College students went without food or drink in order to experience what true hunger is like. 

The 30-Hour Famine was developed by World Vision to help combat hunger and poverty in the Horn of Africa. According to the organization’s website, www.30hourfamine.org, every $30 raised can help feed a hungry child for a month.

MCCC’s first-ever 30-Hour Famine was organized ACE Community Service Club President Alysa Murray, Pottstown, and Thrive Christian Club President Kayla Sheely, Lansdale. The students raised a total of $2,826.31 through individual donations from family and friends, as well as through group fundraisers. 

For one of those fundraisers, the students created a paper chain with 925 links to represent the 925 million people worldwide who go to bed hungry each night. The links were then sold to members of the College community for donations of $1 or more throughout the week prior to the event.  

Participants spent the night of Friday, March 2 at Central Campus.  Then, on Saturday morning, the students split into two groups to perform service work in the community. They officially broke their fast at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 3.

“I don’t know if food ever tasted so good before,” said event co-coordinator Kayla Sheely.