LOTOS
Living On The Other Side
Service Learning Program
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Our Mission Statement
World Hunger Relief, Inc. is a Christian organization committed to the alleviation of hunger around the world.
God calls us to:
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Train individuals in holistic ministry that equips them to work with communities in developing sustainable
farming techniques
Motivate individuals and communities to live sustainably and advocate on behalf of the poor
Partner with local and international sustainable development programs
Our philosophy . . .
is to live simply, helping those who struggle to meet their basic needs by sharing and investing in others what God
has given to us.
Our Service Learning program can be as short as 8-hours to up to 2 weeks. The longer the program, the more
time needed to prepare. Below is some general information regarding our program:
Preparation Questions
While we tailor each program to the age and size of the group the following are some great questions to think about,
research, or discuss with your group as you prepare to come to the Farm:
1. Why does world hunger occur? How extensive is it and where?
We highly recommend reading World Hunger: Twelve Myths by Frances Moore Lappé, Joseph Collins, Peter Rosset, and
Luis Esparza. It gives a good overview of why hunger exists in the world.
Two organizations and their websites:
www.bread.org - Bread for the World – A Christian Lobby group advocating for the poor.
www.oxfam.org - Oxfam – an international advocacy group
2. What is sustainable agriculture and why use it?
Some web resources include:
www.sare.org
www.sustainableagriculture.net
www.attra.org
Other sustainable agriculture/ international issue resources:
Movies: The Mennonite Central Committee has a good movie called Coffee, Corn and the Cost of Globalization,
Life and Debt, and Food, Inc are also great options.
Magazines: Sojourners May 2006, Mother Jones May/June 2006, New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, and
The Nation September 2009.
Short videos – The Promise by Heifer International, Meatrix Trilogy by Sustainable Table (downloadable – more
entertainment than facts www.meatrix.com), The True Cost of Food by Sierra club (downloadable – also more
entertainment www.truecostoffood.org)
Books: Agro-ecological Innovations is a compellation of case studies of people who are doing sustainable agriculture
development work. Wendell Berry has written many essays on sustainable agriculture. One short one is “Think Little” found
in the book A Common Place. For kids, you can also check out The Omnivore's Dilemma for Kids: The Secrets Behind
What You Eat by Michael Pollan.
3. Helping the poor: what is people-centered community development?
When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor. . .and Ourselves by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett
What can I expect on the farm?
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Weather: Texas can vary greatly…rain or sun, 80s or 20s. Pack for warm and cool weather.
Living conditions: very simple; shared kitchen, bathrooms, and shower. Participants live all together in our oneroom, Nicaragua House.
Bathrooms: WHRI is a flush free farm – all of our toilets are composting toilets. Our outside toilets do not have
lights, so be sure to pack a flashlight or headlamp!
Showers: you will have full use of our Nicaragua House shower – which uses a rain water catchment system for the
water.
Daily schedule: if possible, every person in your group will have the opportunity to participate in goat milking and
farm chores. We will have learning activities and a farm service projects. Farm work will include projects such as
mucking out the dairy barn, cleaning and painting goat stanchions (what the goats stand on to be milked), digging
trenches and irrigation ditches, weeding and making new planting beds in our gardens, chopping and stacking
firewood, and so on. It greatly depends on what our needs are the week you are here
Useful skills: none necessary; carpenter and maintenance skills, farming, animal husbandry, painting background are
always nice to have.
Poverty simulations/discussions: while your group will do some farm work, there will also be facilitated
programming and discussions that try to stimulate understanding or thinking about hunger, our food system, and
world poverty.
Sample Schedule
Day 1
5:30 PM
ARRIVAL
6:00 PM
INTRODUCTION / WELCOME Introduction to the World Hunger Farm: Who are we, why we exist,
what we do.
7:00 PM
HUNGER MEAL
I. Thinking
What if the world shared a meal together?
II. Discussion 1– WHAT IS HUNGER?
A. Define Hunger and other terms
B. Present statistics
9:00 PM
MOVIE: ex: Food Inc; The Promise (Heifer International); Black Gold
Day 2
6:30 AM
How the World Wakes: Morning Chores including milking
8:00 AM
13-Cent Breakfast
8:45 AM
Debrief/discuss
9:30 AM
FARM TOUR
10:30 AM
Work Projects
12:00 PM
Lunch Break
1:00 PM
Individual Reflection Time, Down Time, or Group Time
2:00 PM
Dinner on the Other Side
5:00 PM
Debrief
5:30 PM
Clean Up
5. What do we need to bring with us?
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$50 for the first night and $15 for each additional night per person to cover lodging and lunches on work
days.
o Payment can be brought with you or be mailed ahead of time to:
World Hunger Relief, Inc.
Attn: Service Learning
356 Spring Lake Rd
Waco, TX 76705.
A non-refundable deposit of $100 is due within 30 days of reserving your LOTOS dates.
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Packing List:
o work clothes
o rain jacket/gear
o sweater/jacket (it can be cold)
o boots or shoes you don't mind getting very muddy
o t-shirts if it happens to be warm
o work gloves, if you’d like ones that fit really well (we have lots of work gloves, but you might like your own)
o sleeping bag
o pillow
o sleeping pad (we have a few, but probably not enough for the whole group)
o personal items (towel, toiletries, etc)
o medications
o sunscreen, bug spray
o waterbottle
o flashlight or headlamp
o reading material, journal
o Frisbee, soccer ball, outdoor game items – we have plenty of room for field games
o Spending money – you will have opportunities to go out to dinner or spend time in Waco
Remember - you'll be living on the farm where others live. Please help keep things clean and orderly!
6. What about food?
For 8-hour Service Learning groups, we will provide food for the whole day (including breakfast; please do not eat breakfast
before you come).
For 24-hour groups, you will need to make arrangements for breakfast and dinner with the exception of one breakfast and
two dinners. There is a fridge and pantry where you'll be able to store some things. There is also a kitchen where you will be
able to prepare breakfast and dinner. We have a few food items in stock to share with ya'll and there will be a few things in
the fields (anyone like kale?!). There's a grocery store nearby where you can get anything else you need.
During weekdays, a hearty lunch (usually the biggest meal of our day) is provided. We try to eat as much food produced on the farm as
possible but we do purchase some of the food for that meal.
Most groups wait until they arrive at the Farm to make a grocery list and shop for their food. Nearest open-late/early large
grocery store:
H-E-B
801 IH 35 N.
Waco, TX 76705
Store Phone: (254) 799-0253
Store Hours: 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Daily
7. What do you need to tell us?
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How many males are in the group?
How many females are in the group?
Is your sponsor coming too?
Are there any people with food allergies?
Are there any people who are vegetarians or who are on other special diets?
For questions, please contact:
Yui Hiwase or Allyson Polman
Volunteers, Tours, and Service Learning Coordinators
localeducation@worldhungerrelief.org, volunteers@worldhungerrelief.org
254 799 5611
356 Spring Lake Rd
Waco, TX 76705
World Hunger Relief, Inc. Service Learning Trip
Participant Registration:
Name: ___________________________________________________________________ Age: ___________
Address: _________________________________________________________________________________
Phone #: _________________________________________________________________________________
Emergency Contact Information:
Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________
Relationship: ______________________________________________________________________________
Phone #: _________________________________________________________________________________
RESPONSIBILITY RELEASE:
As a participant of the Service Learning program, I wish to make clear my understanding that World Hunger
Relief, Inc., P.O. Box 639, Elm Mott, Texas 76640, does not assume any responsibility for loss of property,
damage to the same, personal harm or illness that may occur; and I, for myself, my heirs, executors, administrators,
distributes, and assigns, in considerations, do hereby absolve World Hunger Relief, Inc. and hold them harmless
from any claim of demand which I or they might conceivably assert upon the basis of the foregoing.
MEDIA RELEASE:
I hereby grant World Hunger Relief Inc to take photographs of me in connection with the Service Learning program. I
authorize World Hunger Relief Inc to copyright, use, and publish the same in print and/or electronically.
I agree that World Hunger Relief Inc may use such photographs of me with or without my name and for any lawful purpose,
including for such purposes as publicity, illustration, advertising, and Web content.
Signature of participant:
_________________________________________________________ Date: ___________________________
Signature of parent or guardian if participant is under 18 years of age
_________________________________________________________ Date: ___________________________