Sarah Peck is Oxfam’s email advocacy writer (and occasional photographer).

Not long ago I attended an Oxfam America Hunger Banquet® in Des Moines, Iowa, with over 200 people, most of them high school students from the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute. This was just one of hundreds of Hunger Banquets taking place around the country this Thanksgiving season.

To get a glimpse into what a Hunger Banquet looks like, check out some of my photos below, and hear from a few people who attended the event:

“It’s one thing to talk about hunger, or to read about it. It’s another thing to actually experience it.”  – Event participant

“Fighting hunger is about more than handing out food—we’ve got to look at the root causes. We need to use our own power to transform existing structures and create a world where no one is hungry.” – Stephen Lauer, event organizer and Oxfam volunteer

“I have a lot of awareness now of how lucky we are. And we are lucky; we have more than enough. But hunger is a huge issue. I want to do something to help, whether online or in my community.” – Joel Florek, student

More than a meal, the Hunger Banquet is an interactive experience that changes your perceptions about poverty and hunger—one that stays with you for a long time. To get started, find out more about how to host your own or attend one in your community.