Banquet Raises Awareness For Hunger in OC

NEWBURGH – RECAP’s Hunger Banquet breakfast on Thursday, October 20 at Fresh Start Café in Newburgh gave participants an early morning hands-on perspective of food insecurity and how life events affect households. Hunger banquet events are interactive experiences held worldwide that generate awareness about hunger disparity. Participants are assigned socio-economic identities upon entering, with those in poverty receiving a small cup of oatmeal and a seat on the floor, while those assigned to a prosperous position were served a full hot breakfast meal at a table. RECAP’s Fresh Start Café is a workforce training and development site in a café setting for long-term welfare recipients.

Participants, including representatives from agencies like HONORehg and the Orange County Department of Social Services, acted out scenarios, some being forced to move from one “class” to another. RECAP’s Chief Operations Officer Michele McKeon narrated the event with facts about poverty in Orange County and the services available to residents.