By Mallory Gantenberg

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The Christian Student Fellowship is hosting a $5 Fast for charity by skipping one meal a day and giving $5 to charity.

From the start of October until mid-November the charity helped a student with learning disabilities in the organization, said CSF Director Brian Marshall.

“It helps us identify with those people hurting, even in small ways,” Marshall said.

The charity raised $4,520 for the student, he said.

The student had just lost his job and was struggling greatly financially. The recipient calls CSF his family.

Marshall said 100 percent of the $5 Fast money went to the student helping with his bills and to get him back on his feet.

“Feeling the hunger pains reminds us to pray and thank God for what we have,” Marshall said.

The idea for $5 Fast came from the early Christians in Rome. The Church had about 1,200 widows on a feeding program.

People would collect extra food and give to those women who couldn’t support themselves.

When the church ran low on supply, they would call a churchwide fast from eating and donate the food to the widows, Marshall said.

Donations to the charity can be accepted in three ways: online, an automatic withdrawal and a drop box at CSF. The CSF website has links to give at ukcsf.org.

This will be ongoing for the rest of the year, and everyone is encouraged to donate. Marshall said the new money will go to a different cause.

Besides the $5 Fast, the group volunteers time and efforts to anywhere that needs it, whether it be local Lexington soup kitchens, Habitat builds or spring break trips to New Orleans to help build houses. They also act as a friendly Christian support group on campus.

CSF is always welcome to new faces and those who want to make a difference while meeting friends, Marshall said.

“It’s funny because we think that it’s all about doing things for people but most of the time it ends up being rewarding for us,” said Morgan Black, an interior design sophomore.

CSF not only impacts those who have received help but also those behind the movement, Marshall said.

“The $5 Fast is just a way of showing the love of Christ in a tangible way,” said Robert Hatchett, a journalism junior.