Lamar Brown, an eighth-grade student at St. Peter Claver Regional School in Decatur, is the winner of the Regional Catholic Campaign for Human Development Multimedia Arts Contest. Lamar’s poem, “Poverty Stricken Child,” won first place. This honor entitles him to a blue ribbon certificate and $100 award. The poem will be entered in the national CCHD contest as the overall winner from the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Elizabeth Hanna, a student at Holy Spirit Preparatory School in Atlanta, won second place with her poem, “The Best Donation.” She was awarded a certificate and $50. The third-place award in the contest was given to a team of students from Our Lady of Victory School in Tyrone, “The Band of Brothers.” Their script and video production, “The Cycle of Poverty,” earned the team $25. Team members are Patrick Silloway, Robert Allen, Daniel Allen, Brandon Bruen and Patrick Daniel.

The Youth Arts Media Contest is held annually throughout the archdiocese for students in grades 7-12. CCHD funds community-based initiatives to change oppressive social structures and reduce poverty. The arts contest accomplishes another mandate of CCHD, “awareness of Catholic Social Teaching and poverty in the U.S.” In its second year in Atlanta, the contest included audio-visual entries, literature and art. Projects reflected on the scope and causes of poverty in this country together with a call for a faith response from each person.

Participants Jason Sneed, Cressida Thompson, Sebastian Kurtz and Kathleen Garten from Our Lady of Mercy High School, Fairburn, earned commendation in the high school division. These students submitted video presentations. Additional schools participating were St. Joseph’s, Athens, and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Atlanta. Both of these schools placed in the separate categories.

January is poverty awareness month, and information and statistics on poverty in the United States are available at www.povertyusa.org. For information about how school or school of religion groups can participate in next year’s contest, contact Sister Joyce Ann Hertzig, OP, parish social ministry coordinator for Catholic Social Services, at (404) 885-7208 or jhertzig@archatl.com.

Winners in each category are:

Literature

1) Lamar Brown, St. Peter Claver Regional School, Decatur
2) Elizabeth Hanna, Holy Spirit Preparatory School, Atlanta
3) Christian Taylor and Kay Stinchcomb, Our Lady of Victory School, Tyrone
Honorable Mention: DeAnna S. Yarbrough, St. Peter Claver Regional School

Visual Art

1) Jillian Bredwell, Holy Spirit Preparatory School
2) Morgan Tracy and Hayley Klein, Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Atlanta
3) Christine Nguyen and Patricia Mitchell, Immaculate Heart of Mary School
Honorable Mention: Kaitlin Kasay, St. Joseph’s School, Athens

Audio-Visual

1) “Band of Brothers,” Patrick Silloway, Robert Allen, Daniel Allen, Brandon Bruen and Patrick Daniel, Our Lady of Victory School
2) Maria Raus and Marrissa Galanan, Holy Spirit Preparatory School
3) Team – Melanie Doyle, David Holmes, Erin Curtis and Greg Smith, “Teach Me To Fish,” St. Joseph’s School, Athens
Honorable Mention: Ben Dashiell and Alex Dirst, Holy Spirit Preparatory School

Poverty Stricken Child

I feel my body begin to die but not a single tear until you see my cry,
For no longer can I stay on this earth slowly suffering under this curse,
In vicious cycles I have been, hurt and desperation is all I’ve seen,
So as my body begins to die do not expect to see my cry.

Mother’s soul is lives where I cannot see,
that’s where I’m going and wish to be,
When I close my eyes in happiness I dream,
and there for seconds I am filled with content,Before, I could only want and desire for food, clothes, warmth and fire,
Now, the chance to not be in need is here
so therefore death I do not fear.

Don’t feel sorry for me I do not want your pity
as I have learnt not to expect anything from this selfish city,
when I would beg of you I get sympathy from very few,
How come now while I lie in pain, my death has made your feelings change,
If I ever despised you for greed before,
you now have no issues,
I despise you more.

As I feel the pain strike my heart, I know it’s time for me to part,
Yet for an unknown reason I want to stay here
As all I believed in has been blinded by fear.

—Lamar Brown