The best meal is a shared one

WYD feeding strategy answers the soul's hunger

By RENATO GANDIA
WCR Staff Writer
Toronto

The thousands upon thousands of pilgrims are baking under the humid Toronto sun, bone-tired and absolutely famished.

The answer is simple, yet profound.

You share.

Nineteen-year-old Suzanne Arsenault explained.

"It was almost like Jesus feeding thousands of people. What one can see is a sea of people -- picturesque multitudes of men and women -- whom Jesus fed with five loaves of bread and two fish," she excitedly told the WCR while waiting for her turn to get her group's food.

The philosophy behind feeding at WYD seemed to have worked. It shortened food queues, promoted sharing and enhanced the chance of making new friends.

If you come to the feeding station by yourself, the likelihood of not getting food right away is high, but not due to long line-ups. The station's premise is, if you want food, you better be with five others to share it.

Each food container is packed for six people along with six plates, disposable forks and spoons. Six bottled waters are distributed at various locations accessible to pilgrims.

To facilitate feeding, only one will get food while five others wait elsewhere.

"It was like a huge picnic everyday," said Australian Donald Smith, 21, after he took a bag of food from the station. "The neat thing about it is that you also get a chance to meet new friends."

At the station, if you happen to need one more person to complete a group of six, all you have to do is to ask around.

Lethbridge's Sarah Britto, 22, was in Rome in 2000 and her experience in Toronto does not compare. "It is more organized here and I think it is more meaningful because we get to share a simple meal, not only among ourselves, who already know each other."

One mealtime, Britto and her group were only five. They found a sixth person to share their meal with. For her, it is one simple and practical way of doing a service project: Share a meal with a stranger.

Britto was frustrated because her group was not assigned to a hands-on project like building a house, feeding the street people, visiting the sick and the aged.

"We also have to remember there are people in our towns and cities that are starving too." - Sarah Britto

Instead, her group from Lethbridge, as well as many Canadians and Americans, were told to attend an awareness seminar about global food distribution sponsored by Development and Peace.

They were not jealous of Peruvians, who visited some shut-ins or of the Italians who built a house with Habitat for Humanity. But they too wanted something concrete they could do with their hands while at WYD.

Still, after attending the Development and Peace seminar, they reflected and shared observations on apparent food shortages and unequal distribution of resources around the world.

What a fitting conversation followed by sharing a meal!

Pincher Creek's Jessica Williams was surprised to hear how many people go hungry in the world although there isn't actually a food shortage.

"To know that there isn't means we are eating a lot more here in North America and other people in the world are eating a lot less -- or not eating at all."

She is now convinced North Americans and other wealthy nations can actually share some of the resources they have.

Another Lethbridge teenager, Andrea Prozniak said, "It was such a good reminder and eye opener, although I am aware about the plight of some people."

She is also aware that even in Canada there are people who go hungry. So she donates at her local food bank and gives money to organizations that help alleviate people's suffering.

"I think we can also make sure that when we donate our money, we give it to good organizations that will really spend our donations on people in need. We all know there are (some) organizations that accept donations and spend them just for their operations and not necessarily give them to the people."

Part of what was discussed surrounded the disadvantages of multinational companies. Pilgrims were told how multinationals kill small-scale businesses.

Eighteen-year-old Joseph Cyr, from Pincher Creek, knows big businesses are ruining the quality of life around the world. "They are not interested in helping other people get a better life, especially in the Third World."

He is also aware multinationals affect local industries. "I think what we can do with our dollars here is to support locally grown crops. Not even just food, but other domestic products as well. And support those companies that are actually helping people in the world and not economically oppressing them."

Seventeen-year-old Matthew Collett from Claresholm was appalled by the fact some companies genetically manipulate seeds.

"These companies are taking the seeds from the farmers. Now, they can only be grown once a year, therefore, people have to go back and buy new seeds."

Britto thinks the most immediate response is to make people aware of the situation. "But we also have to remember there are people in our towns and cities that are starving too."

"We also need to do something locally other than just giving money to organizations."

She believes Canadian youth can go to the soup kitchens in their own town and cities to help feed street people.

"In fact that is needed just as much as the big things. These are little things, but they can really make a lot of difference in people's lives."

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