Oxfam Hunger Banquet at Vassar Temple - March 29, 2003

Pastor Bob and an assigned dining companion served dinner by a Vassar Temple youth. Pastor Bob was given the "identity" of a Chinese immigrant in America.

On March 29th, congregants from the Poughkepsie Reformed Church joined the members of Vassar Temple for a meal to benefit Oxfam. The bright, cheerful youth of the Temple assigned attendees "identities" which grouped them as a member of the upper class, middle class or lower class. After a video explaining the work of Oxfam and the harrowing statistics of hunger in the world, the youth provided background information about the unequal distribution of wealth and food both in the world, and at the dinner that evening.

The lucky 15% who were designated upper class were wined and dined with a served meal of chicken, vegetables, potatoes, rolls, juice, coffee or tea, and dessert.

The middle class had a buffet with chicken and vegetables and were seated at a banquet table.

The unlucky lower class sat on the floor and served themselves plain rice, beans and water.

Jim Haggett pouring water to accompany his serving of beans and rice.

Two members of the lower class:

Pancho, and identitiy given to the Liggera children was, "a young Filipino fisherman from a long line of fishermen. My family has always made a decent living in the fishing business, but my income has gone down as the fish stock has been overexploited. My family now gets barely enough to eat."

Betty Bakker was known as Rebecca. "Originally my husband and children and I lived in Sudan. We grew our own food and everyone in the village had enough to eat. When the civil war forced us to flee to Ethiopia, we lived in a refugee camp..."

Vassar Temple is at 140 Hooker Avenue, just down the road from the Reformed Church.

Oxfam's Beliefs

The lives of all human beings are of equal value.
In a world rich in resources, poverty is an injustice which must be overcome.
Poverty makes people more vulnerable to conflict and natural calamity; much of this suffering can be prevented, and must be relieved.
People's vulnerability to poverty and suffering is increased by unequal power relations based on, for example, gender, race, class, caste and disability; women, who make up a majority of the world's poor, are especially disadvantaged.
Working together we can build a just and safer world, in which people take control over their own lives and enjoy their basic rights.
To overcome poverty and suffering involves changing unjust policies and practices, nationally and internationally, as well as working closely with people in poverty.

Learn more about Oxfam and their work by following this link.