Teen makes movie, raises awareness about crisis in Darfur

Published: 2007-05-30

ONTARIO, N.Y. (CNS) -- Erin Schultz has never been to the Darfur region of Sudan but that has not stopped her from reaching out to ease the suffering of the people in that region. After learning that Darfur is currently in the throes of a crisis so violent that many are classifying it as genocide, 15-year-old Erin, who lives in Ontario, created a short movie about the crisis and e-mailed it to everyone she knows. She had only intended to raise awareness about the problem, but she has also raised approximately $2,000 for relief efforts in Darfur. Last year at this time, Erin had barely even heard of Darfur. She was active in the youth group at her parish, St. Mary of the Lake in Ontario, and had volunteered at a food bank a few times, but she had never been overly involved in activist efforts. She did, however, regularly read news magazines and that's where she first learned about what was happening in Darfur. "I found it horrible how almost nobody knew" about what was going on there, she told the Catholic Courier, newspaper of the Rochester Diocese. Donations for Darfur relief may be sent by check to: Erin's Darfur Project, c/o St. Mary of the Lake Parish, 5823 Walworth Rd., Ontario, NY 14519. Copies of Erin's movie on Darfur are available by contacting Carol May at: (315) 524-2611.

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