Twenty-seven Ridgefield Academy middle and upper school students, faculty and parents recently spent a Saturday volunteering at the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County. Activities included checking expiration dates on canned products, helping to organize food items and restocking shelves. The trip was the second of several such trips planned as part of Ridgefield Academy's Service Learning curriculum.
The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County is the county's primary hunger-relief organization. The Stamford-based organization provides food to over 70 non-profit agencies and programs that serve low income people in a six town service area through bags of groceries and congregate meals. These include soup kitchens, food pantries, child care programs, homeless shelters, senior centers, domestic violence safe houses, and rehabilitation programs.
On March 2 Middle and Upper School students will engage in the OXFAM Hunger Banquet, a luncheon simulation that will emphasize the inequalities and disparities that occur in the world today. Based on the random income level assigned, each student will receive a corresponding meal: the high-income tier (15% of the population) will be served a delicious balanced meal; middle-income students (35%) will receive rice and beans, and the low-income level students (50%) will receive of rice and water.
At the conclusion of the Hunger Banquet, students will engage in discussion and hear from a variety of speakers on the topic.
