Ball throwing mayhem

Summary: This team-building activity teaches participants about hunger statistics in Oregon and Clark County, Wash.

Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Age: 11 to adult

Materials: List of the OFB Network's hunger statistics
Six balls

Preparation: None

Group size: Five to 20

Procedure:

1. Tell the group that you will throw a ball to someone across the circle, and tell the group to do the same. Tell group members that they should always throw the ball to the same person and receive it from the same person.

2. After you've established the order, say a hunger statistic before throwing the ball. The students do not need to repeat the statistics.

3. As the group becomes comfortable with the first statistic, add a second ball and say a second statistic. Do this with up to six balls. Each ball will represent a different hunger statistic.

4. After the activity, discuss how hard it was to keep all the balls in the air. Repeat the hunger statistics and tell students that the activity represents how big Oregon's hunger problem is.

Other Details:

The Oregon Food Bank Network's hunger statistics:

1. One in five people in Oregon and Clark County, Wash., ate meals from an emergency food box last year.

2. Almost one in four children in Oregon and Clark County, Wash., ate meals from an emergency food box last year.

3. Almost half of the households that ask the OFB Network for emergency food have at least one working member.

4. OFB gives food to 884 hunger relief agencies.

5. The OFB Network distributed 57.9-million pounds of food last year.