In the horror comedy classic “Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein,” the sinister assistant to Count Dracula actually was a humanitarian. Actress Lenore Aubert, in real life, was a United Nations volunteer helping others.
Likewise Halloween itself is more than just the outwardly appearance of horror, ghosts and collecting candy. Halloween also has a humanitarian side. A long standing tradition on Halloween is kids collecting donations for UNICEF-the United Nations Children’s Agency. UNICEF was created in the aftermath of World War II to help feed children worldwide and prevent disease.
Trick or Treat for UNICEF became a Halloween tradition that even got the attention of a busy presidential candidate one year.
John F. Kennedy was campaigning for president in 1960 when he came across a UNICEF Trick or Treat Party before one of his events. JFK was impressed how the kids held a fundraiser for the less fortunate instead of their own Halloween party. In fact, JFK was inspired by the kids to make a short speech about the importance of humanitarianism on Halloween.
JFK said , “I think that is in the best tradition of this country’s humane and sympathetic effort. Government to government work is important, but in the final analysis we are a free society depending upon the effort that each of us makes, and, therefore, I congratulate those who were connected with this effort this afternoon.”
Likewise each of us can put forward a humanitarian effort as part of our Halloween. Even a small portion of the National Retail Federation’s expected 10.6 billion in Halloween candy and costume sales could save millions of people from starvation.
We are in the worst global hunger crisis since the post WWII era. According to the UN World Food Program “the number of those facing acute food insecurity has soared — from 135 million to 345 million — since 2019. A total of 50 million people in 45 countries are teetering on the edge of famine.”
Remember each of those millions is a person just like you that has hope for the future. Imagine if you had no supply of food tomorrow and no idea where to obtain some. That is a tragic reality facing many in war and drought devastated countries.
On Halloween you could direct a portion of your spending toward relief agencies like the World Food Program, Save the Children, UNICEF, CARE, Mary’s Meals, Edesia, Action Against Hunger, Catholic Relief Services, Mercy Corps and other charities that fight hunger.
Funding is very low for so many countries where people are starving to death. The charity Action against Hunger warns “As Famine Looms, Only 7% of UN Appeals for Hunger Relief Are Filled, Leaving an Alarming Hunger Funding Gap of 93%.”
All this low funding in a hunger crisis so severe “With one person estimated to be dying of hunger every four seconds” according to a group of charities.
The prolonged drought in East Africa has left millions without food supplies in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. Small children are at risk of deadly malnutrition. Donations have been so low for some of these countries in need, that aid programs have been scaled back. In a world where there is some considerable wealth, it is appalling that this could be happening.
Everyone could include a humanitarian aspect into your Halloween celebration. Many lives could be saved around the world.
William Lambers is an author who partnered with the UN World Food Program on the book Ending World Hunger. His writings have been published by the NY Times, Newsweek, Cleveland Plain Dealer and many other news outlets.
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