At the beginning of March, Mount Carmel sophomores enjoyed a break from the usual academic routine in favor of a week of service and reflection on the social justice issues of hunger and poverty.  “Impact Service Week” included four days of direct service at 19 different food pantries, soup kitchens, and social service agencies.

Upon returning to school each day, sophomores reflected in small groups on the social justice principles of the Catholic Church.  These experiences of service and reflection led to an unexpected “test” later in the week, during which the class had an opportunity to react to the same type of poverty they had witnessed in others.

On Wednesday, students arrived back at Mount Carmel expecting a normal lunch, but instead were lined up and given a playing card. The playing card each received determined the type of lunch they would receive.  The jokers represented the wealthy, developed countries of the world, such as the United States, and anyone with a joker enjoyed the day’s”special” from the cafeteria, including Gatorade and dessert. Ironically, a number of guys tossed the jokers away thinking they were worthless, and ended up relegated to a less “affluent” group.

Those who received aces represented the established nations with struggling economies. Those students assigned to this group received a simple sandwich and bottle of water for their lunch.

All the remaining cards represented the underdeveloped nations of the earth.  Sophomores who drew these cards received a small portion of beans and rice and a thimble-full of water. Those nb this group who found themselves at the end of the line  were not fortuate enough to get any food or water. The goal of this test was to simulate the vastly different experiences of hunger that are due to the “luck of the draw” at birth.

Jeremey Cooper was one of those students at the end of the line, but was lucky enough to have brought his own lunch from home. At first Jeremey was very upset, but “Later I came to the realization that sometimes people don’t get anything. I realized now, it’s about being grateful for everything….When it comes time to eat, we shouldn’t overindulge because there are people who literally need it more then we do.”

Arturo Marin was one who almost didn’t receive any food at all because the supply of beans and rice ran out. Thankfully, his friends invited him to a table, where they all enjoyed extra portions and shared their remaining food with him.

The lessons of Impact week should last for a lifetime. Like any class that has participated in Mount Carmel’s Impact Week, they aren’t asked to change the world, but their daily goal should be to impact at least one person and help that person’s world to change.