Education and fundraising unite at THINKfast
By Seon Park, Youth Speak News
OTTAWA - On March 11, the importance of water, one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit, flowed in the hearts of Carleton University Roman Catholic Community (CURCC) members. With empty bellies, but overflowing compassion for social justice, members of CURCC participated in THINKfast, a 24-hour fast where 12 participants collected pledges to raise money for the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, as part of the Share Lent campaign.
During the fast, they connected as a community by learning about the issues affecting people in the global south and praying together.
“THINKfast is an excellent 24 hours because we have students coming from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives coming together to learn from each other,” said Erik Sorenson, president of CURCC.
The theme of this year’s THINKfast was the commodification of water.
“Water is becoming increasingly scarce and it is important that free access to water is maintained by all,” said Sorenson.
The goal of THINKfast was to raise $500, and each participant tried to raise $50.
They committed mentally, physically and financially to the fundraising days prior to and after the event. Each participant encountered their own struggles.
“The toughest part of the whole thing was getting over the initial hunger,” said Adrian Mascarenhas, a second-year aerospace engineering student at Carleton.
“The next toughest thing was sticking through it… (I’m) glad that I stuck through and did something that really helped someone else.”
Liane Fonseca said THINKfast made her more aware of the problems that people face in various parts of the world with regards to water.
“As a Catholic, it is my duty to help these people in any possible way,” she said.
William Bredson, CURCC’s music director, said he gained awareness of how we abuse a natural resource.
“I have become more aware of how we Canadians are mistreating our most precious resource, water, and ultimately hurting ourselves and future generations,” he said.
Sorenson spoke about his trip to Mexico to raise the awareness of social justice in the global south the first day and a documentary called The Water Life was played the following day.
On the second day of THINKfast, the participants were given a necklace with a small container attached to it and walked to the Rideau River to put water into the bottle. This acted as a reminder of the importance of water sources.
Mass marked the end of THINKfast. Afterwards, the participants celebrated by cooking together.
“It felt good. I felt like I had accomplished something in solidarity with a dynamic committed group of people,” said Brendan Scott, a Carleton masters student studying international affairs. “It helped to place things in perspective.”
(Park, 19, is a communications and political science student at Carleton University in Ottawa.)
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