People are starving for a cause.
April 29-30, students at St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church will raise hunger awareness on campus.
"We are trying to bring awareness to world hunger," said Savannah Hein, junior in health promotion. "We are going to be on the concourse raising money and raising awareness about world hunger."
There are 20 students participating in a campout on Cater Lawn where they will fast for a campaign called 30-Hour Famine.
Participants are allowed only Gatorade, water and crackers if they feel faint.
"We just want to add a little reality, so it is not like we are in a king-sized bed and not eating," said Jasmine Rodgers, sophomore in special education in early childhood. "There are people who really go to bed hungry, and we just want to make people aware."
Hein said the participants will talk to passersby about what they are doing.
The campout is open to all students.
According to Rodgers, the campout will take place on campus so any student can participate.
The students plan to camp out all night in cardboard boxes.
"We will be out on the lawn in the boxes for the whole 30 hours," Hein said. "It is just a way to bring attention to the cause and tell more people about it and get more donations."
The students hope to raise $720.
The money raised will go to World Vision, a Christian ministry that benefits people in need all over the world.
If the students raise the desired funds, they will be able to help feed and clothe two children for a year.
"We just want to make people aware of how blessed we are here in Auburn," Rodgers said. "Donating just a few dollars will go a long way."
World Vision benefits about 100 million people in need, said Megan Chard, sophomore in psychology.
"Students raise money to help feed children and help families overcome poverty and injustice," Chard said.
Each year, the students of St. Dunstan's commit to one project a year. The 30-Hour Famine is one of their main projects for the year.
Hein said the students are trying to help out the church and people around them by doing good works.
"Because of the efforts like the 30-Hour Famine, since 1992 the total number of kids who die each day, most from preventable causes such as hunger, has fallen from 40,000 to 24,000," Chard said.
According to the U.N. World Food Programme, there are more people without enough food to eat than the populations of the U.S., Canada and the European Union combined.
"One-sixth of the world goes hungry every day," Rodgers said. "It is not because they don't work hard. Droughts and floods can change the way food is grown, and people can work as hard as they want, and food is still to expensive to feed the whole family."
According to Chard, the students are camping out to bring students closer to God while raising awareness.
"If people know what is going on in the world, hopefully they will feel thankful for what they have," Rodgers said, "and maybe contribute to people who don't have what we have."
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