At the Shuswap Adventist School in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, principal Shellie Shipowick, wants her students to learn about the humanitarian and development work that ADRA does around the world. Last year, the Ration Meal Challenge was the initiative to do just that.

Last fall, this amazing group of students raised $32,000 by participating in ADRA’s Ration Meal Challenge to help feed the hungry in other countries.

Every student participated in the challenge. They wanted to add a personal touch to the fundraising initiative, so they each selected 10 different individuals or families to reach out to and sent handwritten letters explaining the initiative and how they could each help support the work ADRA is doing to end hunger. Through creating this personal communication for each supporter, the students were able to truly connect to the cause and inform themselves about why they were raising the funds.

The students selected a day where they participated in the Ration Meal Challenge. To simulate what refugees must go through daily, the students made a ration meal with simple ingredients, and also decided to mimic a refugee camp by setting up blankets in the basement of the school. While eating on the floor, the students engaged in reflective discussion about what it meant to go hungry. All the activities were enjoyable for the students and also excited them for the impact they knew their efforts were making. Some students even continued eating a ration meal for dinner when they went home. It was such an impactful fundraising initiative that, when asked, students said it was one of the best days of school they had ever had. 

The funds raised by the students in the challenge were matched by the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) and sent to Yemen. 

In June 2021, the students at Shuswap Adventist School were able to meet with a staff member from ADRA Yemen. They were eager to ask questions and learn about how ADRA was able to help others who were going hungry this year by providing basic food baskets consisting of wheat flour, beans, sugar, salt and oil to 1,455 families. The people in Yemen have been affected by war which has limited access to education, work, and ultimately food, and resulted in one of the greatest humanitarian crises of this time.  It was impactful to see the students learn more about the work that ADRA was doing outside of Canada and how far their efforts had reached people across the world.  

In partnership with CFBG, ADRA is providing food for people around the world who are going hungry. During this past year, lockdowns due to COVID-19 restrictions have driven more families into deeper poverty as their livelihoods have been taken away. 

Every year in the fall, people across Canada participate in raising awareness and support to help those around the world who face hunger due to conflict, drought, or other crises. Through ADRA’s Ration Meal Challenge, every dollar donated is matched at least 1:1 and possibly even up to 1:4 to assist hungry families around the globe. 

Just like the students at Shuswap Adventist School, you too can understand what hunger feels like for millions of people around the world. The ADRA Ration Meal Challenge is your opportunity to get sponsors and challenge yourself to use the simple ingredients included in our emergency food distributions to create three meals that will sustain you for 24 hours while raising funds to feed the hungry around the world!