[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shZbpqngNLo]

As the Hours Pass

Breaking of the Fast: A letter of thanks

Just as our fasting broke this morning, so did some news regarding a new social media campaign with today’s biggest entertainers involved, to benefit our East Africa Fund.

Translation: I have been too busy to even think about wrapping up my fasting update.

At 9am this morning, my colleagues and I broke the fast with a light breakfast and some sharing of stories. When we felt hungry. How it made us feel. When it all sunk in for Each One of Us.

I found it both overwhelming and encouraging to see the number of people who put their hunger aside to hold out and fundraise for the kids. Buckets of “thank you”s to anyone who donated to the fast.

It all sunk in this morning as I pulled apart the bagel before me and took that first bite of food in 24 hours. This whole experience became a living definition of a quote that I have tucked close to my heart for several years but never fully understood up until now: “To whom much is given, much is expected.”

This whole fast is not to “help” the children of the East Africa food crisis, but to stand beside these children—their tiny feet, their tiny hands, their tiny faces—stand beside them and be human. Humans reach out hands to one another, I reckon that is why God gave us two of them. Why he equipped us so favorably with Hands that Hold. Ears that Listen. Mouths that Speak Out against injustices such as the food crisis in East Africa.

We could very easily get bogged down by the news and the discouraging coverage, throw our hands up in the air and say “I cannot do anything!” but clearly, by the awareness and money we raised, there is something we can do. We can be living examples of compassion, humanity, and above all, love. The 24-hour fasting is over, but our chance to be Love to others has just begun…

Thanks to everyone who supported Save the Children in the last 24 hours. Especially those who found a way to encourage, inspire and lift our spirits with just 140 simple characters. You are a marvel. Always and always.

Best,

Hannah

Pin my heart to your tomorrow

Little children, I cannot begin to know how it feels to take on even an ounce of your pain. I don’t know the pangs of hunger beyond 24 hours, I am not forced to walk & walk & walk in the hopes to find food. But I can pin my heart to you today, pin my heart to your tomorrow. Each day and every day, I can promise that to you.

6pm

O.k., this is real now. Really real. Tired. Hungry. Irritated. Headache throbbing. And yet I am sitting here, counting blessings. I am in awe of how much I took food for granted up until this point. So many times today I have eyed food around the office and just wanted to grab a few pretzels or sneak a chocolate or two. Aint gonna happen. I am in this until the end, alongside my Save the Children staff members, Grey’s star Kevin McKidd, supermodel Iman and the rest who have joined on throughout the hours. Stay strong everyone. “We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love.” –Mama T

2pm

So for a stretch of time I was very hyper, feeling more energized than I have felt in days actually but mind you, that was short lived, the headache is coming on but my stomach has not rumbled since mid morning.

But here I am, 23 years old, and understanding why I feel hungry right now. Why? Because I am voluntarily fasting… How could you possibly explain this to a 4 year old? Or to your own children? That there’s no food, that they need to wait for the rains to come.  Empty stomachs are nothing compared to a breaking heart for the kids who have to feel this everyday. Please consider donating today.

11:30am

Three hours into the fast and already I am seeing how much my body has come to rely on getting food every couple of hours. Around this time I would have already had breakfast and a mid morning snack. The hunger pains are not intense by any means, and I am all too aware that I will be eating again in less than 24 hours. It is really making me reflect and think about the kids who have no choice, no other option, but to keep trekking on until they reach the refugee camps. Even then, they are not guaranteed food to put into their hungry bellies. I am keeping these children in my thoughts throughout the entire day.

Fast-A-Thon

The news coverage on the crisis in East Africa has crippled our spirits and our news feeds for the past few weeks but we are not completely helpless to the issue at hand. I don’t often mix my work life with the blog but I wanted to share with all of you what my colleagues and I at Save the Children are doing to keep the children of East Africa at the forefront until the rains come.

From Monday, August 8 to Tuesday, August 9 (9am-9am) we will host a completely voluntary 24- hour “Fast-A-Thon” to raise funds and empathy towards the food crisis in East Africa, what the UN has declared as the worst drought in nearly 60 years. I will be fasting for the next 24 hours with the hope to raise $100 dollars to feed a child for 100 days. Our overall goal?  Utilizing our social networks to raise $10,000 to feed 100 children for 100 days.

One dollar a day is all it takes to keep a child alive until the deadly drought passes and the rains come.

I appreciate all support, thoughts and prayers for the children and their families at this time.

To participate in the Fast-A-Thon, check out the site here. If you would like to donate to the cause, click here or text “SURVIVE” to “20222” to make a $10 donation.

Ways to Get Involved

PLEDGE TO FAST:  On Monday, August 8, fast by skipping a snack (or coffee), missing a meal or fasting for a day beginning at 9 am EDT (GMT 13:00).  RSVP

PLEDGE TO FRIENDRAISE:  Invite your friends, family and co-workers to socialize about the event on Twitter (#fastathon) and Facebook.  Friendraise

PLEDGE TO FUNDRAISE:  Ask your personal, social networks to support your pledge by donating to our Cause, or donate $10 by texting SURVIVE to 20222 (U.S. only, standard rates apply).  Fundraise