Bread for the World's Blog
Monday, February 6, 2012
Matchmaking Between Migrant Workers and US Farmers
Net migration is the net total of migrants during the period, that is, the total number of immigrants less the annual number of emigrants, including...
Friday, February 3, 2012
Photo by Flickr user Filipe Dâmaso Saraiva
"Hunger denies, wastes, and degrades the gift of life."
-Edouard Saouma, former director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) from 1976 to 1993.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, David Beckmann, and Others Stand in Support of SNAP
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) speaks at a press conference about the importance of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, along with (left to right) Elise Gould, Tara Marks, Donna Cooper, and David Beckmann. Photo by Kristen Youngblood/Bread for the World.
While some politicians have attacked the relevance of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) during the ongoing election campaign, today on Capitol Hill a panel of economists, policy makers, and a former food stamp recipient emphasized the life-saving value of the program.
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) was joined by Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World; Elise Gould of the Economic Policy Institute; Donna Cooper of the Center for American Progress; and Tara Marks, a former SNAP recipient and activist from Pittsburgh, PA. They all gathered to clarify the importance of SNAP benefits for the American people, particularly during a recession.
“Just like unemployment insurance, food stamps bridge the gap to help families make ends meet,” said Congresswoman DeLauro, a longtime SNAP supporter. “As the economy improves and families get back on their feet, the costs of food stamps will decrease again. This is the entire essence of a social safety net.”
Tara Marks, a longtime Bread for the World supporter, said that she agreed with Rep. DeLauro. Marks’ personal experience with hunger and poverty led her to advocate for policies that will help make a difference for vulnerable people.
“I know firsthand the benefits of safety-net programs because I was once a recipient,” said Marks. “There were times when I wouldn’t eat so my son could. Fortunately, programs like SNAP were available so that we did not have to go hungry for long.”
Watch this video about Tara Marks, and learn how you can contact your members of Congress about creating a circle of protection around programs that help poor and hungry people.
Jeannie Choi is associate editor at Bread for the World. Follow her on Twitter @jeanniechoi.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Creando un Círculo de Protección Contra el Hambre (la Ofrenda de Cartas 2012)
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Obtenga más información y solicite al Congreso crear un círculo de protección alrededor de los programas para las personas más necesitadas y quienes padecen de hambre. Visite bread.org ++++++++++ Cada año Pan para el Mundo invita a las iglesias ya grupos de todo el país a escribir cartas y correos electrónicos a sus miembros del Congreso sobre temas que son importantes para las personas que padecen de hambre y para los pobres. Estas cartas llevan un fuerte mensaje a los líderes políticos de nuestro país y nos ayudan como nación para acercarnos a nuestro objetivo de acabar con el hambre. Vea este vídeo para conocer más sobre la importancia de ponerse en contacto con los miembros del Congreso, y como es una manera eficaz para abogar por los pobres y quienes padecen de hambre. |
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Thursday, February 2, 2012
Los Frijoles de Jane (la Ofrenda de Cartas 2012)
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Obtenga más información y solicite al Congreso que proteja los programas de asistencia al extranjera. Visite www.bread.org ++++++++++ Jane Sabbi, campesina de Uganda y madre de siete hijos, aprendió a sembrar más cultivos nutritivos después de unirse a un colectivo agrícola de Uganda que recibe ayuda de EE.UU.. A nivel mundial, el número de personas que viven en la pobreza extrema se ha reducido en 400 millones desde 2009. Esto es resultado del trabajo duro de los pobres, pero también la ayuda extrajera de EE.UU. ha jugado un papel importante. Descubra cómo Jane Sabbi trabaja para crear un mejor futuro para su familia. |
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Thursday, February 2, 2012
Alli & André (la Ofrenda de Cartas 2012)
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Obtenga más información y solicite al Congreso que proteja los programas nacionales de nutrición. Visite www.bread.org ++++++++++ El Programa Especial de Nutrición Suplementaria para Mujeres, Infantes y Niños (WIC) protege la salud de las mujeres de bajos ingresos, los bebés y niños de hasta 5 años de edad, suministrando paquetes mensuales de alimentos que proporcionan nutrientes que faltan en su dieta. WIC demuestra ser un programa muy valioso para Alli, una joven adolescente de 17 años de edad, y madre que vive en Bend, Oregón, y que trabaja duro para proveer el sustento para ella y su bebé, André. Vea el video para saber más de Alli y André. |
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Thursday, February 2, 2012
Familia de Heather (la Ofrenda de Cartas 2012)
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Obtenga más información y solicite al Congreso que proteja los programas de créditos fiscales para familias de bajos ingresos. Visite www.bread.org ++++++++++ Una serie de recortes de impuestos vencen a finales de 2012, que incluye dos disposiciones que son fundamentales para familias trabajadoras de bajos ingresos: El Crédito Tributario por Ingreso del Trabajo (EITC) y el Crédito Tributario por Hijo (CTC). Estos créditos fiscales aumentar los ingresos del familias y ayudan a millones de la personas que viven en pobreza cada año. Heather Rude-Turner y su familia se han beneficiado del EITC desde 2009. Vea la historia de Heather y entérese cómo estos créditos tributarios la ayudaron a sobrevivir de la pobreza y la falta de vivienda. |
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Thursday, February 2, 2012
La Importancia de la Ayuda Alimenticia (la Ofrenda de Cartas 2012)
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Obtenga más información y solicite al Congreso que proteja los programas internacionales de ayuda alimentaria. Visita www.bread.org ++++++++++ Durante más de 50 años, Estados Unidos ha jugado un papel importante en el alivio de la desnutrición y el hambre, especialmente en situaciones de emergencia. A pesar de la tremenda necesidad en todo el mundo - incluyendo la hambruna en curso en el Cuerno de África - El Congreso está considerando recortes a estos programas. En este video, Faustine Wabwire, analista de política de ayuda exterior del Instituto de Bread for the World, aborda la importancia y la eficacia de la ayuda alimentaria. |
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Thursday, February 2, 2012
Why we must protect safety net programs
A panel of economists, policy makers, and a former food stamp recipient today stressed the importance of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) as politicians attack its relevance during the ongoing election campaign.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Food Stamps: An Economic Safety Net
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut held a press conference today to discuss the important role that SNAP (Supplemental Nutritiona Assistance Program, or food stamps) plays in forming an economic safety net. Elise Gould from the Economic Policy Institute, Donna Cooper of the Center for American Progress, David Beckmann of Bread for the World, and Tara Marks of Just Harvest contributed their expertise on the economic, political, and social dimensions of SNAP.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Ending hunger in 5 years ‘doable’
Ending hunger in five years is ‘doable,’ says the Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, an international hunger-relief organization.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Hunger QOTD: Latin American Prayer
Photo by Flickr user Moyan_Brenn
"O God, to those who have hunger, give bread, and to us who have bread, give the hunger for justice."
-Latin American Prayer
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
The Power of Letter Writing: A Personal Story
I recently listened in on a conference call with David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, and others who are knowledgeable about what is happening in Washington. They said that 2011 was a tumultuous year with many hunger programs in peril of major reductions. Millions of vulnerable people in the U.S. and abroad could have been put in great danger. But then David Beckmann said gratefully, “There have been no substantial cuts in the programs we support,” and expressed his gratitude for grassroots letters and phone calls that have bombarded the offices of members of Congress urging for a circle of protection around programs that help poor and hungry people.
I immediately thought of people I knew who had written some of those letters out of their conviction that cutting deficits and balancing budgets on the backs of poor people is unfair and immoral. I had seen the personal words of those letters, knew they were backed by deep concern and prayer, and now knew those words had been effective! I felt enormous gratitude to have had a small part in that impressive result.
Shortly after that conference call, during a coffee hour at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, I was standing near a young mother whom I had noticed before, when our church conducted our Offering of Letters. I remember she laid down a tiny infant on the table, got a toddler daughter busy doodling on a blank sheet of paper, and sat down to write a letter to Congress. That scene stuck with me, and now I got to talk to her again. She held her little boy, now 8 months old, and her daughter played nearby.
“Oh, hello, you remember us!” she said, and told me that she occasionally visited the Bread for the World website and was especially interested in materials for children. She told me she intended to teach her children about hunger. Then she said almost off-hand, “Oh, and I’ve been writing to Washington and calling, too.” I was stunned. I did not expect that the message had gotten so deep into her soul. I thought about how I’d love to introduce her to David Beckmann and say, “Here’s one very good reason those program cuts didn’t happen.”
David Beckmann and the others who led that conference call made very clear that the battles are far from over. The electoral politics of 2012 will keep poverty-focused foreign assistance and domestic hunger-relief programs in limbo. Sustaining a circle of protection must continue. Bread for the World’s 2012 Offering of Letters calls for four unique emphases during 2012, beginning with the upcoming farm bill, but continuously, in the background, the emphasis will be on the circle of protection.
Some of you reading this blog post may still be considering joining this effort. I assure you it continues to be vitally important—and it’s truly rewarding. I hope you will promote an Offering of Letters at your church or in any caring group you are part of.
+Find out how you can organize an Offering of Letters at your church. Find resources, stories, videos, and more at www.bread.org/OL.
Jim Anderson is a Bread activist in Portland, OR, and retired pastor of the Evangelical Covenant Church. Soon, he will travel to Tanzania to see first-hand the benefits of a circle of protection around poverty-focused development assistance.
Photo caption: A member at Templo Calvario (Assembly of God church) in Santa Ana, CA, writes a letter to Congress as part of Bread for the World's Offering of Letters on Sunday, October 16, 2011. Photograph by Laura Elizabeth Pohl
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
With the help of Bread activists, we got through 2011 without major cuts to programs focused on hungry and poor people. We’re thankful to all those who called, wrote, and visited their members of Congress to help protect these programs. But the fight is far from over.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
In February, the Epiphany stories of Jesus’ call to follow him make way for lessons on the realities of the cross. In many geographic regions, the transition from the light of Epiphany to the season of Lent occurs during gray days that inspire us to curl up and turn inward. So, too, our preaching can invite people to communal and personal reflection on the realities of discipleship.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Jane Sabbi, left, is a farmer in Kamuli, Uganda, and a mother of seven children. In this photo she works in her field with her sister-in-law. Watch a short video about Jane. Photo by Laura Elizabeth Pohl
"Because there is global insecurity, nations are engaged in a mad arms race, spending billions of dollars wastefully on instruments of destruction, when millions are starving. And yet, just a fraction of what is extended so obscenely on defense budgets would make a real difference in enabling God's children to fill their stomachs, be educated, and be given the chance to lead fulfilled and happy lives."
-Desmond Tutu
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
In Political Campaigns, Attacking Nutrition Programs Helps No One
Photo by Flickr user DonkeyHotey
With the ongoing presidential primaries, the media has given a lot of attention to remarks by some candidates disparaging the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps). Yet, opinion polls and data continue to show that this line of attack is neither reflective of voter sentiment, nor factually accurate. Instead, candidates who want to improve the country should tell voters how they plan on ending hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world.
A new poll from the Food Research and Action Center asked voters about cutting SNAP to reduce federal deficits. The results were much like the survey on poverty discussed by my colleague Amelia. Here are some of the key findings that we, as activists for hungry families, can take heart in:
- 72 percent, nearly three in four, of voters say SNAP is important to the country.
- 77 percent reject the idea of cutting SNAP to reduce government spending as some candidates are proposing.
- One in every two voters is less likely to vote for a candidate who wants to cut SNAP while only 9 percent would be more likely.
- Opposing cuts to SNAP is not a partisan issue. Republicans, Independents and Democrats all support this crucial program with large majorities.
Clearly candidates who want to attract this sizable group of voters should oppose cuts to SNAP instead of attacking the program and its beneficiaries.
Candidates who oppose important safety net programs are not only hurting their electoral chances, they’re also misleading themselves. The facts are clear: SNAP is one of the most efficient safety net programs out there. The recession has forced many families to seek help buying food, yet despite rising caseloads, SNAP has continued to see lower error rates every year, dropping to a record 3 percent in 2010. While some are quick to draw upon stereotypes of government bureaucracy, it turns out that 95 percent of money spent on the program goes right to its recipients. It would be very hard to cut the program without cutting benefits or kicking families off.
Politicians who talk trash about SNAP make the false assumption that it has something to do with the country’s rising deficits. It does not. SNAP has certainly added millions of cases in the past couple years, but that means the program is working exactly how it should! It helps the millions of families forced into poverty during the recession. The Congressional Budget Office projects that the program’s participation level will go back to pre-recession levels by 2021, as the economy improves. Candidates looking to balance the budget need to look elsewhere. Readers of the Bread Blog may have seen this chart before, but it’s an important reminder of the true cause of rising deficits:
Candidates often talk about making our country better. Wouldn’t that include addressing poverty? The polls show that Americans are compassionate and understand that the path to ending hunger includes a strong safety net. The data shows that SNAP is not the cause of the deficit. It is, however, the most effective tool we have for helping families that struggle to put food on the table. Candidates need to hear this from voters: Why are you launching these unfair attacks on SNAP and the struggling families who rely on it?
Ben D'Avanzo is Mimi Meehan Fellow at Bread for the World.
+Find out how you can organize an Offering of Letters at your church. Find resources, stories, videos, and more at www.bread.org/OL.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Think Young Christians are Apathetic and Uninformed? Think Again.
Young activists like LaToya Brown of New Haven, CT, gathered on the opening day of Bread for the World's 2011 National Gathering on Saturday, June 11, 2011, to advocate on Capitol Hill for poor and hungry people. Photo by Laura Elizabeth Pohl.
It may catch leaders in Washington off guard, but there is a wave of young activists ready to leave their imprint on a broken world. Many believe that young Christians are too busy living within their own protective bubbles to notice the problems of the world around them. While this may be true for some, the vast majority of college-aged Christians I’ve met and formed friendships with are on fire with a passion unlike any I’ve ever experienced before.
As a 21-year-old intern at Bread for the World, graduating in May, my possibilities seem endless. I am idealistic, headstrong, and ready to devote my life to a cause that I believe in – and right now that cause is ending global hunger. This same passion lives in many of my friends, who fight for causes ranging from stopping sex trafficking, to ending the use of child soldiers, to volunteering in local nursing homes and homeless shelters. Lawmakers may think that the youth of this nation are apathetic, lazy kids who really don’t care about anything other than the newest video game, but they are wrong. We want to make a difference – more than anything we yearn to show Christ’s love to the world.
These issues keep us awake at night, and inspire us to make a difference. I am haunted by the thought of children going to bed hungry; of families working multiple jobs while struggling to make ends meet; of children facing stunting and challenges to physical development due to malnutrition; and of whole communities ravaged by drought and famine.
Young Christians are banding together to make their voices heard – to proclaim the good news of Christ’s love but to also put it into action. In a Reuters article, author Shane Claiborne explains that this new movement is comprised of young Christians seeking a more authentic expression of faith: "'I see an entire generation of young people who want a Christianity they can wrap their hands around. They don’t just want to believe stuff. They’re saying if you want to know what I believe, then watch how I live.'"
I have found an authentic expression of my faith at Bread for the World where I work to advocate for poor and hungry people in near and distant places.
To my fellow young Christians, I want to challenge you to ask yourself, what is the one cause that makes you impassioned for someone other than yourself? If you haven’t found one yet, I would recommend getting involved with Bread for the World to make a lasting impact on turning the tide of hunger and poverty in America and abroad. Participating in Bread's Offering of letters is a great way to start advocating on behalf of those less fortunate. Everyone is called to make a difference. Find a way to make yours.
Jael Kimball is media relations intern at Bread for the World.
+Find out how you can organize an Offering of Letters at your church. Find resources, stories, videos, and more at www.bread.org/OL.
Monday, January 30, 2012
The Critical 1,000-Day Window of Opportunity
Photo: Laura Sheahen / Catholic Relief Services The most important period in human development is the 1,000 days between pregnancy and age 2. Healthy development,...
Monday, January 30, 2012
Photo by Flickr user SidPix
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
-Anne Frank
Monday, January 30, 2012
Anti-Poverty Programs Remain Likely Targets in 2012
Several legislative challenges to crucial domestic and international anti-poverty programs were turned back in 2011, but the same programs will probably require defending again in 2012. That is the word from Bread for the World’s president, the Rev. David Beckmann, as his anti-hunger organization launched its annual congressional lobbying campaign, called Offering of Letters, on Jan. 17.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Amelia Kegan on the Role of Poverty in the Upcoming Elections
Amelia Kegan, senior policy analyst at Bread for the World, attended a panel discussion with Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity to discuss how poverty and hunger will affect teh conversations in the upcoming elections.
In an interview, Kegan emphasized that poverty is not a partisan issue:
Poverty really has to be an issue that politicians take seriously and really address. Hopefully we can see that Americans really value and are going to [be] considering and listening for the candidates to address [poverty] through the 2012 elections. In today’s political climate, everything is often times so partisan and so polarizing. As we saw from the panelists today, [poverty] really is an issue that everyone can get behind and everyone should be able to support.
Watch her video interviews with the Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity below and read her reflection on study findings that say 88 percent of surveyed voters said a presidential candidate’s position on poverty is important in deciding their vote, and nearly half (45 percent) said the issue is "very important."
+Learn more about poverty in the United States and how you can take action.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Hunger Doesn’t Discriminate Based on Party Affiliation
Despite perceptions and suggestions to the contrary, we know that the circumstances that lead people and families to enroll in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) don’t discriminate based on race. And as we profiled earlier, an ever-growing number of families on the program are working.
Add this: Though a breakdown of participation based on political affiliation doesn’t exist to our knowledge, we have no reason to believe that people struggling in this economy are disproportionately Democrats, Republicans, or otherwise. Consider the story of Susie, a 59-year-old Florida woman who lost her business during the recession:
"I am a Republican and a conservative ... and I had to swallow my pride today and come in and apply for benefits for the first time because I'm losing weight," Susie said.
Even if you brush the moral case for SNAP aside, candidates ought to take note of the sheer political calculus that there’s a growing proportion of the American electorate for whom SNAP is the difference between having just barely enough to eat and going hungry.
Matt Newell-Ching is a regional organizer at Bread for the World.
Photo caption: Alex Morris feeds her son, André, in their Bend, OR, home. Alex depends on SNAP, WIC and other programs to care for André, who suffers from a serious medical condition that affects his hormonal system. Photo by Brad Horn for Bread for the World.
+Learn more about SNAP and how you can take action.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
World Leaders Prioritize Nutrition in the 1,000-Day "Window"
Human growth and cognitive development depend on getting the right foods in early childhood. Photo by Laura Elizabeth Pohl for Bread for the World. Today,...
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Bread Calls for Protection of Anti-Poverty Programs
Bread for the World affirms President Barack Obama’s emphasis on supporting programs that assist and create opportunities for all low-income families, as he expressed during his State of the Union address tonight.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Where Hope and Opportunity Meet
Did you know that over the past decade (2001- 2010), six of the world’s 10 fastest-growing economies were in Africa? Countries from Ghana in the...
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Bread for the World Calls for Continued Protection of Anti-Poverty Programs
Bread for the World affirms President Barack Obama's emphasis on supporting programs that assist and create opportunities for all low-income families, as he expressed during his State of the Union address tonight.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Addressing the State of Hunger
The 2012 Hunger Report executive summary is Bread for the World Institute’s overview of the state of hunger. Tomorrow night, President Obama will deliver his...
Friday, January 20, 2012
Bread for the World launches annual letters campaign
Bread for the World on Jan. 17 launched its 2012 Offering of Letters campaign to urge Congress to create a circle of protection around programs vital to hungry and poor people during this election year.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
The potential sunset of direct payments could bring a new dawn in farm programs this year. At the same time, lawmakers and the Obama administration are going to have to overcome the politics of a presidential election year to re-examine or renew the Bush-era tax cuts now scheduled to sunset at the end of the year.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Churches Form Circle of Protection Around Hungry People
We got through 2011 without major cuts in national programs focused on hungry and poor people. Powerful political forces made a major push to cut these programs in the name of deficit reduction, but church leaders and faith groups rallied to form a circle of protection around hungry and poor people.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Bread for the World Launches Campaign to Protect Anti-Poverty Programs
Bread for the World today launched its 2012 Offering of Letters campaign to urge Congress this crucial year to create a circle of protection around programs vital to hungry and poor people.
“We thank God that the deficit-reduction decisions Congress and the president made in 2011 avoided most of the proposed deep cuts in programs that help struggling families make ends meet,” said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
New report connects farmers, the hungry
Strengthening the connection between U.S. farmers and the need for more nutritious food is the focus of Bread for the World’s 2012 Hunger Report, “Rebalancing Act: Updating U.S. Food and Farm Policies.”
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Heather's Story
(2012 Offering of Letters)
A small desk with a laptop, books, and a chair sits in Heather's living room. Her two children and even her two dogs know not to touch anything on that desk. “That’s mommy’s desk,” says Heather's 5-year-old daughter, Naomi.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
January invites us into conversations about new beginnings, fresh starts, and clean slates. Jesus’ presentation at the temple and his baptism are just such “January” moments—snapshots in time that launch Jesus’ ministry. Then the season of Epiphany is rich with stories of discipleship and call. We can look anew at how we and our communities speak up for and with people who have been marginalized and are living in poverty.
Friday, December 30, 2011
A Hunger for Advocacy (2012 Offering of Letters)
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Each year Bread for the World invites churches and groups across the country to write personal letters and emails to their members of Congress on issues that are important to hungry and poor people. These letters send a powerful message to our country's political leaders and help us as a nation move closer to our goal of ending hunger. Watch this video to learn more about why contacting our members of Congress is an effective way to advocate for poor and hungry people. Learn more and ask Congress to create a circle of protection around valuable programs for poor and hungry people, visit www.bread.org/OL. |
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Friday, December 30, 2011
Jane's Beans (2012 Offering of Letters)
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Learn more and ask Congress to protect foreign assistance programs. Visit www.bread.org ++++++++++ Jane Sabbi, a farmer in Uganda and mother of seven children, learned to plant more nutritious crops after joining a Ugandan nonprofit farming collective that receives US foreign assistance. Globally, the number of people living in extreme poverty has fallen by 400 million since 2009. This is mostly the result of much hard work by poor people themselves, but US foreign assistance has played an important role. Find out how Jane Sabbi is working to create a brighter future for her family. |
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Friday, December 30, 2011
Alli & André (2012 Offering of Letters)
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Learn more and ask Congress to protect domestic nutrition programs. Visit www.bread.org ++++++++++ The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) safeguards the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 by providing monthly packages of food that supply nutrients lacking in their diets. WIC proved to be an incredibly valuable program for Alli, a 17-year-old teen mom living in Bend, OR, who is working hard to provide for her and her baby, André. Watch the video above to learn more about Alli and André. |
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Friday, December 30, 2011
Heather's Family (2012 Offering of Letters)
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Learn more and ask Congress to protect tax credits for low-income families. Visit www.bread.org ++++++++++ A series of tax cuts will expire at the end of 2012, including two provisions that are critical for low-income working families: the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC). These tax credits boost household earnings and lift millions of people out of poverty each year. Heather Rude-Turner and her family has benefited from the Earned Income Tax Credit since 2009. Watch Heather's story and learn how these valuable tax credits helped her family survive homelessness and poverty. |
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Friday, December 30, 2011
The Importance of Food Aid (2012 Offering of Letters)
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Learn more and ask Congress to protect international food aid programs. Visit www.bread.org ++++++++++ For more than 50 years, the United States has played an important role in alleviating global malnutrition and hunger, especially during emergencies. Despite the tremendous need around the world -- including the ongoing famine in the Horn of Africa — Congress is considering deep cuts to these programs. In this video, Faustine Wabwire, foreign assistance policy analyst at Bread for the World Institute, addresses the importance and efficacy of food aid. |
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Thursday, December 29, 2011
Sowing Seeds of Hope as Famine Fight Goes Global
Looking back on the extraordinary events of 2011, it's difficult to recall a more precarious time for the world's poorest people, but it's important also to acknowledge that great progress was made this year in galvanising international political will towards the elimination of global hunger.
Friday, December 23, 2011
People of Faith Help Protect Vulnerable People
With Congress’ last-minute extension of unemployment benefits, Bread for the World is celebrating surprising success in avoiding cuts to programs focused on hungry and poor people over the course of 2011.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
House Fails to Extend Benefits Bill
Nearly 2 million Americans will lose unemployment benefits in January 2012. Many will be forced into poverty as the House fails to extend unemployment benefits.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
My column today offers suggestions for gifts for non-cooks. Obviously, cooking is not the only issue out there, and direct contact with friends is not the only way to change things in the food world: there is cash. There are countless worthy causes and just as many charitable institutions. If finding the cash to spare is difficult so, too, may be choosing where it will be put to best use. But if you’re thinking about making a donation this year to brighten the national or global food landscape, here’s a list of organizations where your gifts will be well spent. (No doubt there are equally worthy omissions; please add them in the comments section.)
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Omnibus Bill Passes House and Senate
Congress passed legislation today that will keep the federal government from shutting down and allow the United States to continue to lift people around the world from hunger and poverty in fiscal year 2012.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Kevin Bacon and John Stamos Support Bread for the World
Actors Kevin Bacon and John Stamos will ask their fans to make donations to Bread for the World, one of their favorite hunger organizations. The request is part of a holiday hunger fundraising campaign organized by Bacon’s charitable initiative, SixDegrees.org, in partnership with Network for Good.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Building Hope in Uganda: St. Francis Health Care Services
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At the end of a red dirt road, near the source of the Nile River is St. Francis Health Care Services, an HIV/AIDS clinic serving some of the poorest people in Jinja District, Uganda. Faustine Ngarambe, the clinic's founder and executive director, started St. Francis after a friend died of AIDS, alone and stigmatized in Kenya. "He was dying silently within himself," said Ngarambe. "And when he was brought back to Uganda for burial, even his parents did not even view the body." St. Francis, which benefits from US foreign assistance, offers its patients services that heal not only the body, but the mind as well: counseling, nutrition and agriculture education, financial assistance, support groups for young people and grandmothers, and more. It's this kind of holistic approach to HIV/AIDS care that has made Uganda an oft-cited role model for decreasing HIV/AIDS rates. HIV prevalence in Uganda is currently at 6 to 7 percent, according to a UNAIDS report released Nov. 30, 2011, down from about 14 percent in 1990, according to a UNAIDS study from 2010. Read more on the Bread blog at blog.bread.org ++++++++++ Learn more about St. Francis Health Care Services at www.stfrancishealthservices.org ++++++++++ UNAIDS report from Nov. 30, 2011 - www.who.int UNAIDS study from 2010 - www.google.com |
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Thursday, December 1, 2011
Dec. 2012: HIV/AIDS in Uganda and St. Francis Health Care Services
AIDS-related deaths in Uganda have orphaned 1.2 million children, according to UNAIDS. St. Francis Health Care Services, a clinic not far from the source of the Nile River in Uganda, is helping grandmothers care for their orphaned children. Faustine Ngarambe, St. Francis's founder and executive director, tells us about the clinic's grandmothers program.
Music this month is by Nikita Cherkasov and Evgeny Emelyanov.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Hunger Report Features Christian Study Guide
Bread for the World Institute now offers a Christian Study Guide for engaging congregations and small groups in informative conversations about the 2012 Hunger Report, “Rebalancing Act: Updating U.S. Food and Farm Policies.”
Upcoming Events:
- Wednesday, February 8, 2012
- Friday, February 10, 2012
- Saturday, February 11, 2012
- Sunday, February 12, 2012
- Time:
- 4:00 pm
- Description:
- Confirmation
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- Time:
- 6:00 pm
- Description:
- "Pause & Praise"
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- 7:00 pm
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- Adult Choir
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- 8:00 am
- Description:
- T.O.P.S.
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- Time:
- 8:00 am
- Location:
- Ryan's Family Steakhouse
- Description:
Men's breakfast - Bible Study
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Fundraiser between service for Syl's prison ministry
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- Prison Ministry Sunday
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- Time:
- 8:00 am
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Worship
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- 9:15 am
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Classes for All Ages!
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- Time:
- 10:30 am
- Description:
Worship
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- 10:30 am
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Worship
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Lectionary Texts:
- February 6, 2012:
- First Reading: 2 Kings 4:8-17, 32-37
Psalm: Psalm 102:12-28
Second Reading: Acts 14:1-7
- February 12, 2012 Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany:
- First Reading: 2 Kings 5:1-14
Psalm: Psalm 30
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Gospel Reading: Mark 1:40-45
RCL (C) 1992 The Consultation on Common Texts used by permission
