I've done the 30 Hour Famine the past two years and I've got to tell you, it's an experience. It works the same as any fund raiser. You get people to sponsor you and the more you make the better “prize” you get. The prizes are merely incentives, but they work wonders on getting donations. The donations then go into a local food bank or other charity that is set up to help feed the hungry.
The famine is just what it sound like, a famine. You don't eat for thirty hours and do activities to promote hunger awareness. “Only thirty hours you say?” Sounds easy right? Wrong. With all of the activities you participate in, thirty hours seems much longer. Juice and water are provided, but that is hardly enough to satisfy anyone. The program changes every year, but it usually consists of many hunger related activities. Last year the group stood outside in the cold (the famine is in either February or April) and constructed cardboard houses in order to emulate the very difficult lives of many of the homeless of the world. We were then offered a spoonful of beans in order to show the stressful situation of having very little to eat.
Other activities consisted of creating “tribes” and trying to negotiate with competing tribes for food or water. One year we went around collecting canned goods to donate to a local food bank. Then we helped out at the food bank and sorted some of the donations they had received. We even played some non hunger related games, but between you and me, I'm sure they were just to get us not to think about food. The famine culminates after a fun sleepover (you don't expect them to trust you not to eat at home do you?) and with a large feast of spaghetti and meatballs. Everyone says good bye and goes home with memories that will last a lifetime.
The famine is usually geared towards members of any local “youth group”, but you do not have to be a member in order to participate. Granted this obviously isn't for adults, but I'm sure you could set something like this up in your local neighborhood for the adults to participate in. Gather a group of people who are interested, brainstorm activity ideas, and set a date! Have people sponsor you or just donate yourself, and have a great time living in the other person's shoes.
