I Hunger for Mercy is a way to get youth involved in combating poverty. Each day children die of hunger and neglect or live in substandard conditions. Through a 24-hour famine, kids can help raise awareness of the needs of children both in the United States and abroad.

There are 4 principle keys to unlocking poverty:

1. Educate: The first step in relieving the suffering of the poor and needy children of the world is to understand the nature of their needs according to the particular area they live in.
   
   We share personal stories of the children we serve along with statistics that help kids better understand the reality of poverty, even in their own community. Through personal testimony and video presentations, kids become aware that poverty has no boundaries and that the need for mercy is now.
2. Advocate: Knowledge is power. Through a 24 hour fast for mercy, kids will learn what they can personally do to alleviate the miserable conditions of the poor and needy throughout the world. Some of the advocacy activities kids can do are:
   • Fundraise for the I Hunger for Mercy Event: Prior to the 24 hour fast, children are asked to raise donations to sponsor their fast. These donations will help continue the programs sponsored by the Missionaries of Our Lady of Divine Mercy and are critical in helping us reach out to those in most need. The goal is to have each youth get at least 12 people to sponsor him for the fast for $30 per person. If he meets his goal, the money raised is equivalent to sponsoring a child for one year.
   • Write letters to congress asking for resources to help the needy both domestically and abroad. Writing letters can be an effective way for kids to express their opinions and tell our leaders that children count. Each teen who writes a letter on behalf of a poor child is like a “lampstand that cannot be hidden”.
   • Organize a Food Drive or Coat Drive at School: One of the greatest ways to advocate for the poor and disadvantaged to help others understand their plight. Getting your school or youth group involved helps to promote leadership and action through advocacy.
3. Prayer: The key to I Hunger for Mercy is prayer. Prayer is essential because it is advocacy in action. It is taking on the human suffering of another and pleading for mercy on their behalf. Below are some ways to make I Hunger for Mercy a spiritual event.
   • Pray the Rosary
   • Offer a Holy Hour on behalf of the poor and needy children throughout the world.
   • Organize a prayer and share group where kids can share their own experiences of poverty or witnessed the poverty of others.
   • Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
   • Offer a Novena to help the Missionaries of Our Lady of Divine Mercy and other relief organizations to help spread the message of God’s love and instill hope in people who need it most.
4. Service: Mercy is a verb. It is love in action. That is the message we share with youth. During the 24 hour fast, kids can experience what it is like to be hungry while helping others who live with that condition each day. From making scarves to washing cars, each act of mercy is an act of love.

I Hunger for Mercy can be done anytime of the year and can be modified for your particular church or youth group. We suggest that October and November are good months to have this event as well as February and March. Whatever the date you choose, the Missionaries of Our Lady of Divine Mercy will be here to help. Thank you so much for responding to the call for mercy.

If you would like your youth group, school or church to participate in the I Hunger for Mercy fast, please contact us at www.DivineMercyNow.org for a free information packet with all of the tools you’ll need to make the I Hunger for Mercy program a success.