CITYWIDE Catholicism isn’t a prerequisite for fasting anymore.
More than a hundred Santa Monicans of all religions and hundreds of thousands more people worldwide will participate in a daylong fasting event today in which they will donate the money they would’ve spent on food to the charity of their choice.
The goal is to make as big a dent as possible against world hunger.
Approximately 854 million people in the world are hungry, and every day, a child dies every five seconds from hunger, according to Bread for the World, a national Christian organization.
The day-long fast is the brainchild of Santa Monica resident Rich Halverson, who through his non-profit, Global Fast, is encouraging people to abstain from eating and instead dish the money out among a number of charities that have partnered with his organization.
The event coincides with Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, a traditional period of fasting and self-denial among Catholics for the 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday.The intention to hold the event on Ash Wednesday was to encourage Catholics who were fasting anyway to part with their meal money.
Those who foresee a dizzying day without food are encouraged to give up only a meal or two, or even withhold from the daily dose of coffee.
Participants don’t necessarily have to donate money to the partner charities, Halverson said, as long as they do donate to a noble cause.
Politicians from around the world have contacted the 25-year-old Halverson, informing him that they do intend to spread the word to their fellow countrymen. People in the Philippines, Uganda, Mexico, Spain, South Korea, Canada and Colombia are expected to participate.
“It’s been really great how people have responded,” Halverson said on Tuesday.“They just love the idea and the biggest response we get is that the idea is beautiful.”
Several tenants who live with Halverson in a Downtown Santa Monica apartment building are planning to participate, including Eric Cooper and his girlfriend, Linda Shockley. The Global Fast message resonated with the couple, who then e-mailed friends and family about the organization.
For Cooper, surviving the gap between breakfast and lunch is challenge enough.
To clear his mind of food, Cooper found a way to make the fast a little entertaining — he bought bottles of water from around the world and will consume a different bottle every hour or so.
“I’ve fasted three times,”Cooper said.“It’s a miracle I can do it.”
The task is less daunting for his girlfriend, who has gone through several three-day fasting sessions. Subsisting on a diet of only water, Shockley said she may even fast for another day if she is up for the challenge.
Halverson, a writer and former Miami journalist, has come a long way since he founded the organization in July of last year. There are currently about 500 volunteers across the nation who are spreading the word about Global Fast. The idea came to Halverson after he completed a five-day fast.
“I thought for a long time how to create real impact and actually change things,” Halverson said. “If we have 10 million people give their food for one day, it could mean $100 million going to the best charities out there.”
His interest in combating world hunger came from a thesis he wrote on global poverty while a student at Harvard University. As a columnist for the student newspaper, Halverson frequently wrote articles on global issues. World hunger is mainly a function of bad governance, not a lack of food, Halverson contends. By giving money to legitimate charities, people can make a real difference.
For a one-day fast, Halverson expects that water and a little bit of help from the big guy in the sky will sustain him.
“The idea is you substitute (food for prayer) and that’s what makes it a time of spiritual growth,” Halverson said. “You’re relying on your spiritual life and prayers to sustain you.”
Several religious houses have endorsed Global Fast by encouraging members of their congregations to participate.
The members of the Risen Church plan to donate their savings to Beyond the Borders, an organization that aims to help poor children from Haiti, according to Trevor Debenning, the teaching director at the church on California Avenue. Debenning plans to fast the entire day and has calculated that he will be able to donate at least $10 to Beyond the Borders.
“We live in a place where we consume 80 percent of the world’s goods and yet we are 20 percent of its population,” Debenning said.“If we can take an entire day to withhold eating food and take the money and be able to give that money to fight global injustices, then that’s for the better of the good of the world.”
As a member of the Metro Calvary Chapel on Fourth Street, West LA resident Mike Trabun learned about Global Fast from Cooper and Shockley, both of whom are followers of the chapel. It will be a first-time experience for Trabun, who will not eat breakfast and lunch and sees the fast as a starting point for longer sessions in the future.
Those interested in learning more about Global Fast and partnering charities can visit their Web site (www.gf07.com).
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 21, 2007. Read the original PDF.