Hunger Banquet: An Experience to Remember

In March, Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission (NOCAC), with the support of local businesses, caterers and partner organizations, hosted the 2015 Hunger Banquet in Williams County. This banquet was not your typical fundraising event but instead, it was an experience to remember. As guests arrived, they were greeted by individuals holding cardboard signs—not signs that directed them to the venue or the parking lot, but signs that said, “homeless veteran,” “will work for…” and “I used to be someone you could talk to.” A family of four stood next to their truck, with two young teenagers huddled in blankets watching their parents politely ask nearly 200 guests if they could spare some change. Some offered help, though many did not.

A lucky, or unlucky, roll of the die directed guests to their dining area for the evening that ranged from upper-class to poverty. The wealthy were seated at elaborately decorated tables complete with shrimp appetizers and steak dinners while those in poverty were greeted with tables made of pallets and tarp table cloths. The homeless and lower-class watched the wealthy and upper-middle class enjoy steak, chicken and even envied the lower-middle class’s bologna sandwiches while they waited to find out if the soup kitchen would open before the end of the evening.

The Hunger Banquet did not attempt to simply explain what poverty is like, it let guests experience it first-hand. Like a game of chance, families were thrown from the upper-class to lower- class or further when, during the evening, they lost their jobs, got sick, or in one case, were even widowed.

“My husband always took care of everything for me. I didn't know about insurance or that we didn't have any…”

“I worked long hours driving a truck... I fell asleep at the wheel… (sobbing)… I didn't mean to hurt anyone; I just wanted to provide for my family.”

“I invested everything in that company. Then came the depression… then the addiction… I lost everything I had ever worked for…”

Guests also heard stories of success. Stories of families receiving intensive case-management, securing housing, overcoming their addictions, finding help for their mental illnesses, and overcoming odds and obstacles by getting accepted into college despite being moved from foster home to foster home. Many stories of those helped by Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission (NOCAC) and The PATH Center illustrated the effectiveness of Community Action and how creative solutions are effective in alleviating poverty. NOCAC administers locally controlled programs, creates partnerships and helps low-income families and individuals across six rural counties in Ohio while on their path to self-sufficiency.  The Hunger Banquet was an event to remember and just one of the ways NOCAC works to change the story of poverty in Ohio.

Be sure to check out our video of NOCAC’s 2015 Hunger Banquet! Are you interested in hosting your own Hunger Banquet? Contact Angie Franklin at afranklin@nocac.org for more information.

Community Action is With You Every Step of the Way

Amanda was an 18-year-old stay-at-home mom to three young boys when she first turned to the Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission (NOCAC) for help with her utilities in 2008. At the time, she didn’t know her financial situation or even who her utility companies were because her “husband handled that stuff.” Now she is a single, self-sufficient mom with a degree in criminal justice and a good job with a local police department thanks to the help of NOCAC.

Community Action Agencies Help Struggling Families After Severe Storms Hit Ohio

When severe storms hit Ohio on June 29 it left hundreds of thousands of Ohioans without power, causing many low-income families to struggle to survive. Community Action Agencies throughout the state stepped in to offer assistance with anything from gas for generators to help paying for prescription medication, food and other necessities.