On Saturday, November 13, Langley students and local families gathered at the McLean Baptist Church in an effort to feed 1,000 needy individuals in the Washington D.C. metro area. Together they prepared and delivered a total of 1,103 hot breakfasts, bagged lunches, and hot chicken dinners from 6 am to 7 pm—all in a single day. Despite attending rivalry schools, Andrew So, a senior at Langley High School, and Mark Short, a junior at McLean High School, collaborated to organize the Feeding 1,000 event for a cause far more important than any school rivalry.
“The main goal was to help spread love throughout the community, and to bring people closer in a good faith,” said Short. The event provided an opportunity to ease the suffering just around the Chain Bridge.
“When people think of starvation, they think of Africa,” said So. “But there are people closer by who are facing similar circumstances. This was a chance to spread awareness.” Amid the comfortable environment of wealthier cities such as McLean and Great Falls, it is difficult to realize—let alone take interest—in the extent of the hunger in Washington D.C.
“I don’t think people understand what is exactly going on over there,” said junior Katelyn Margraf, “especially after helping such a large number of individuals in Franklin Park alone.”
Not all poverty-stricken people dress in rags and take residence on street corners. “You don’t always realize which ones are needy,” said junior Emily Hewitt. “Many do not look like the average depiction of a homeless person.”
Once the meals were packaged by volunteers at the McLean Baptist Church, they were bundled in boxes and driven to multiple parks in D.C. to be distributed.
“We pulled up to a park and set out the meals near the car. One by one, people spread the word among their friends and would flock towards us for food,” said junior Laura Baughan. “We fed somewhere around fifty to eighty people in that one area.”
The recipients reacted with gratitude, either by striking up a friendly conversation, murmuring a quick “God bless,” or smiling brokenly with an appreciative nod. “They were so grateful to receive a simple dinner,” said Baughan.
The aftermath of exceeding the goal of 1,000 meals was described by the helpers as “fulfilling,” “humbling,” and “inspirational.”
“I definitely feel uplifted,” said So. “The set time was from 6 a.m. to 7 at night. By 4:15 p.m., we were already done. If you put your minds together, you can accomplish more than you dream.” So mentioned a possible collaboration in the future with senior Brian Doll, in order to organize an event that combines Feeding 1,000 and Stop Hunger Now.
“Those who have it good do not even know what they’ve got,” said Short. “The next step is to spread what the fortunate have to those who need it.”
What may have appeared to be a regular day in Washington D.C. was unassumingly far from average. It was because of Langley students and community members alike that 1,000 more people went to bed with a full stomach that night.