The Feast Meant for Everyone

(words & music by Sarah Hart and Tom Booth)
 
Bread for the immigrant, 
Bread for the poor
Bread for the hungry who beg at our door
Food for the outcast, waiting to belong
Come to the Feast Meant for Everyone...

50 Countries Affected By COVID-19 Sing Amazing Grace

Pentecost Pilgrimage in Place "People of God, Call Down the Spirit!"

New Mexico Pilgrimage for Unity invites us to Join pilgrims from a wide variety of Christian traditions as we prepare our bodies, hearts, and spirits to celebrate Pentecost 2020 with a Pentecost Pilgrimage in Place: People of God, Call Down the Spirit! Here’s what to expect:

 1) Pentecost Pilgrims Orientation (Online): Saturday May 23 at 9AM
We’ll gather on zoom for a time of orientation, sharing, prayer and preparation (both practical and spiritual) for planning your Pentecost “Pilgrimage in Place.” Join us to meet your (virtual) companions on the journey! Zoom Meeting ID: 869 9287 4266 Password: pilgrim

2) Opening Gathering & Prayer Service (Online): Friday, May 29 at 7 pm.
We’ll gather on zoom for a time to worship, share intentions, learn a new song and pray together with our fellow pilgrims. Zoom Meeting ID: 829 9651 3217 Password: pilgrim

3) Personal Pentecost Pilgrimage: Saturday, May 30 all day,
On Saturday you will walk your self-designed pilgrimage route, recognizing that every place…including your own home and neighborhood… is a “holy place.” You are encouraged to wear red, and to carry with you a stone to represent the prayer intentions you carry as you walk. Along the way, please email Sylvia Pentecost Pilgrims Orientation (Online): Saturday May 23 at 9AM
We’ll gather on zoom for a time of orientation, sharing, prayer and preparation (both practical and spiritual) for planning your Pentecost “Pilgrimage in Place.” Join us to meet your (virtual) companions on the journey! Zoom Meeting ID: 869 9287 4266 Password: pilgrim

4) Closing Gathering & Prayer Service (Online): Saturday May 30, 7 pm
We’ll gather on zoom for a closing prayer service that will allow us to share insights, experiences, and images from our personal pilgrimages, and to consecrate the prayer intentions we’ve carried.
Zoom Meeting ID: 899 2028 2808 Password: pilgrim

Please let us know if you plan to participate!
RSVP for Pentecostal Pilgrimage by Wednesday, May 20th, so that we can send you further instructions, information, and links to join online orientation & services.
Submit Prayer Intentions/Requests for Pentecost Pilgrimage

PBS Releases Rick Steves' Video on Hunger in Ethiopia, Guatemala

Addressing a Bread for the World audience in Washington in June of 2019, travel writer Rick Steves spoke about a program he produced that connects the impact of climate change and hunger. To produce this documentary, Steves traveled to Guatemala and Ethiopia. We recorded a portion of his comments at a Bread Lobby Day reception.

"I want to empower development in the hungry world, to be able to develop in a way that is less impactful in a negative way to climate change. There are a lot of desperate people in desperate countries,..so that just to live, they have to deforest, they have to abuse their soil," he said. 

The program, "Hunger and Hope: Lessons from Ethiopia and Guatemala," made its premiere on PBS on March 31.  



In this hour-long special, Rick Steves travels through Ethiopia and Guatemala to learn about extreme poverty and its solutions, including smart development aid, empowering women, child nutrition, and education.

Fūdrr, Peace Choir Support School Backpack Program in Moriarty

“The program this year has made a huge difference. Test scores, attendance and grades are up. It has been a wonderful blessing for me to watch the entire community and churches working together for these children.” Sue Gibson, parent-teacher liaison at Moriarty Elementary School

Photo: Central Baptist Association

The Moriarty Elementary School weekend backpack program has been in place since the 2014 school year, when Sue Gibson, parent-teacher liaison, brought Pastor Dennis Garcia of The People Church in Moriarty and Sheryl Stewart from the Mountain Valley Church Bible Study in Edgewood to help address a chronic problem faced by students at the elementary school.

“On Mondays, we would have hungry, sick children,” Gibson told K. Faith Morgan from Lifeway in an article published in October 2015. “They would come to school so hungry that they would overeat for breakfast and then throw up because of it. Some of them were so hungry, they couldn’t eat.”

Garcia and Stewart teamed up to create a program to send students home on Fridays with  backpacks stocked with food for the weekend—two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners and plenty of between-meal snacks. Over the  past several years has helped put a dent on hunger among families in Moriarty, where an estimated 28 percent of residents live below the poverty line.

A Web-Based Effort and a Concert
Other organizations are helping with the effort, including Fūdrr, the healthy lifestyle website created and managed by Kids Cook and sponsored by Presbyterian Center for Community Health.

With support from the Interfaith Hunger Coalition, Fūdrr is helping ensure that the weekend backpacks are filled with healthy alternatives. This web-based effort encourages participants to earn produce at local retailers by participating in certain activities. If you are not a member of Fūdrr, you can join here.

While the effort has applied broadly to many areas of New Mexico, Fūdrr and the Peace Choir have targeted Moriarty Elementary School for a special campaign around a concert on Sunday, September 29, 4:00 p.m. at the Moriarty High School Performing Arts Center, 200 Center Street, Moriarty, NM 87035

The Peace Choir concert, which is free, will promote the Fūdrr effort.

The concert also serves as a farewell for Peace Choir director and founder Christy Conduff, who taught for many years in the Moriarty/Edgewood and Estancia School Districts for many years.To attend the concert,pick up a free ticket or purchase a special VIP ticket via Eventbrite. (VIP tickets allow attendees early entrance and a choice of seats).

While the concert is putting a strong focus on child hunger in the Moriarty area, overall food insecurity remains a concern for the area. To that end,  Fūdrr has begun a conversation with the Bethel Community Storehouse pantry (partly on behalf of the Interfaith Hunger Coalition). The East Mountain Food Pantry in nearby Tijeras is also a possibility for our outreach efforts in the areas east of Albuquerque. Stay tuned.

Santa Fe Arts Commission Sponsors Exhibition on Hunger

The City of Santa Fe Arts Commission has invited 17 local artists to participate in an exhibition that focuses on hunger in our state and around the world. 

The artists, who work in a variety of media, will display their work at the Santa Fe Community Gallery, 201 W. Marcy St, which is inside the Santa Fe Convention Center. The exhibition, entitled “Longer Table: Food, Nourishment and Sustainability,"will be launched with a special reception today, September 27, 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, at the community gallery.  The works of the artists will be in display until January.

The artists were asked to address the myriad issues related to food production, sustainability, scarcity, affordability, safety, access and availability, and the ramifications of our food policies in New Mexico.

"According to an article in 2016, the effects of climate change on food production around the world could lead to more than 500,000 deaths by the year 2050," said the Santa Fe Arts Commission in a Facebook page for this event. "Climate related impacts on agriculture could lead to an overall global decline in food availability. We are headed into a world food crisis and the evidence is mounting."

"If you are fortunate to have more than you need, build a longer table, not a higher wall," said Santa Fe artist Bette Yozell, who works primarily in watercolors and gouache, with explorations in glass, etching, and various other media. "I am grateful to have this opportunity to address the challenge of global food sustainability in a visual format."

Other artists include Bobbe Besold, Matthew Bollinger, Liz Brindley, Eric Heithaus, Kathamann, Angela Kirkman, Will Karp, Marietta Patricia Leis, Andrea Lozano, Darlene Olivia McElroy, Catherine Molland, AnaMaria Samaniego, Michael Sharber, Melinda Silver, and Laurinda Stockwell.
 

Yozell is the only one of the 17 artists I know personally.  I met her and her husband on  an educational trip to Havana, Cuba,in December 2016, sponsored by the Latin American and Iberian Institute at the University of New Mexico. I was one of the LAII staff people accompanying the group of more than a dozen people from New Mexico and other areas to study art deco architecture in the Cuban capital and to experience the Havana Jazz Festival.

 You can see more of Yozell's work via a separate exhibit, entitled Mixed Media, at the Jean Cocteau Cinema gallery in October. "The opening will be on Thursday, Oct. 3, from 5:30-7. I am hoping you can make this, as well. A videoed interview of me in my studio has been made in conjunction with this exhibit," said Yozell.

Intergenerational Summer Reading: Two Books on Hunger

Art Simon and Phyllis Vos Wezeman have the same message for different audiences in books that were published recently. As a society, we have the ability and resources to end hunger, particularly if we address structural inequalities.

Vos Wezeman, a religious educator, tailors her message to children (5-10 years) in her book Petra's Pier Picnic (Acta Publications, 2018) The book is illustrated by Oscar Hoyo, a native of Malawi, who lives in Chicago.

Simon, who released Silence Can Kill: Speaking Up to End Hunger and Make Our Economy Work for Everyone (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2019) at Bread for the World's Advocacy Summit in June, makes the case that we can end hunger and poverty as a society if we take intentional steps to address economic inequities.

I am fortunate to have autographed books from both authors. I've known Art Simon since the early 1980s, and getting his signature on my book at the Bread Advocacy Summit is very meaningful.  Vos Wezeman was in Albuquerque on the weekend I was in Washington for the Bread events, so I didn't get to see her.  However, a very thoughtful friend purchased a copy of Petra's Pier Picnic and had her sign it for me. 

Here are excerpts from the two books.

Petra's Pier Picnic

"Catch anything?" Petra asked the people on the pier, offering each of them a jelly worm.  

Have you been throwing your fish back too?" Petra asked the couple on the pier. 

"No, this is the only one we caught," answered the man.

"Your'e gonna need more than that if you want enough for supper," Petra replied.

The woman looked at Petra. "We were hoping to catch enough fish to feed us for a week."
"Wow! You must really like fish," said Petra

"Well, they're better than going hungry!" responded the woman. 

Silence Can Kill

Siging a book for Kimball Forrester

Simon, founder of Bread for the World, has written half-a-dozen books dealing directly with hunger and poverty, including Bread for the World,  The Rising of Bread for the World: An Outcry of Citizens Against Hunger. Grace at the Table: Ending Hunger in God’s World (co-authored with David Beckmann). Faces of Poverty and Harvesting Peace: The Arms Race and Human Need.

In May of this year, Reps. Cheri Bustos and Mike Bost of Illinois introduced a resolution in Congress honoring the accomplishments of Art Simon. “Under Art Simon’s leadership, Bread for the World helped establish programs that have improved nutrition and reduced mortality for children in the U.S. and worldwide. He taught hundreds of thousands of people of faith that citizen advocacy is an important aspect of discipleship; as the title of his new book explains," said the resolution.

Here is an excerpt from Simon's book:

When we appeal to our nation's leaders for an end to hunger, we are implicitly asking for a stronger and just economy that serves the good of all...

As long as 40 million Americans live in food-insecure households, while an overlapping 40 million live in poverty and additional millions a notch or two above them struggle to stay in place, the need of a more vigorous, inclusive economy is apparent. 


A Plan of Action
The great thing about the two books is that Simon and Vos Wezeman offer a plan of action.

In her book, Vos Wezeman offers these suggestions to children

Discuss

• causes of hunger including conflict and war, distribution, economics, farming methods, land use, natural disasters, political conditions, poverty, waste, weather conditions, and more
• differences between myths and realities of hunger
• distinguishing true information from false statements

Discover

• local programs that address hunger such as soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and food pantries.
• community gardens, gleaning sites, and co-op food programs

Do 

• food drives for hunger causes such as disaster relief, backpack programs, and neighborhood assistance. 
• awareness campaigns about the results of hunger like malnutrition, school dropout, and health risks. 

Here is what Simon proposes in his book,
US public opinion is split about whether hunger and poverty are more attributable to structural inequalities or dysfunctional behavior. But rather than argue about how the fire started, let's agree to put it out. We could tackle both structural inequalities and behavior rather than addressing only one or the other. Doing so would bring liberals and conservatives together for an effective plan of action. 

A Fundraiser Honoring the Late Allen Toussaint

Allen Touissant was one of the founders of New Orleans Artists Against Hunger and Homelessness, so it's very fitting that the organization's annual fundraiser is entitled Allen Toussaint's Legacy of Caring in honor of the great New Orleans musician. 

The event is scheduled for Saturday, January 12,  at the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Mint, 400 Esplanade Ave., 8:00-9:30 p.m.

Check out this five-minute (actually 5:27) video below to hear a song depicting the history and mission of NOAHH, including the role of Toussaint and Aaron Neville in helping create the organization to raise funds for programs that help address hunger and homelessness in New Orleans. 

Jon Cleary at the French Quarter Festival 2018

Over the years, many prominent musicians (and other entertainers) from New Orleans and elsewhere have helped with the cause. Supporters include such well-known names as Jimmy Buffett, Irma Thomas, Paul Simon, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, the Dixie Cups, among others. See full list

This year's fundraiser features Jon Cleary, Ivan Neville, David Torkanowsky, George Porter Jr., Tony Hall and Raymond Weber (click on the links to see YouTube or Vimeo videos on each of the artists).

Tickets for the event are only $50 and available here.

Salam Academy Benefit: Moonlight in Marrakech

Let your senses be overwhelmed and ignited with the scented oil lamps, vibrant fabrics and enchanting music. Relax in the Kasbah and dine on a delectable African inspired dinner created by Chef Ahmed Obo from Jambo Cafe. Enjoy full and rich flavors with every bite. Traditional Moroccan desserts, tea and coffee will be served

Salam Academy invites the public to discover all the magic and intrigue of the mysterious Moroccan city of Marrakech at its benefit dinner on Saturday, November 10, 6:00-9:00 p.m. at the African American Performing Arts Center, 310 San Pedro NE (NM State Fairgrounds).

This special event will feature a full dinner buffet, catered by Chef Ahmed Obo of Jambo Cafe, a best dressed competition for those who choose to wear traditional attire, live music, a silent auction, free Henna Art by High Desert Henna, Moroccan style souk, and much more. City Councilor Pat Davis is a featured guest speaker. Tickets: Adult $39, Child (ages 10-13) $29  Childcare provided at Salam Academy ages 9 and under. $5 per child. Pizza included   Buy Tickets

An Invitation to the 11th Annual International Village Feast

The Immigrant and Refugee Resource Village of Albuquerque cordially invites the public to the 11th International Village Feast on Sunday, October 28, at La Mesa Presbyterian Church (Social Hall), 7401 Copper NE, 4:00 p.m. Enjoy music, drumming, dance and cultural foods, and meet people from several countries. A minimum donation of $20 is requested for adults and $5 for children 5 to 12.

An Invitation to Two Great Fall Events

The public is invited to two great community events, held during the last two weekend of September

Trinity House Catholic Worker 
Harvest Bowl Fundraiser

OffCenter Community Arts Project  
Annual Folk Festival 

• Over 100 Artist Vendors Selling Hand-Made Arts & Crafts
• Giant Puppet Parade – Theme "Bosque Life"
• Live Music, Dance, Magic and Puppet Play Performances
• FREE Art-Making Activities for the whole family in our Giant Art Making Tent
• Food and snacks from some of Albuquerque's favorite food trucks
• Be a part of community art — Carry a puppet, create in the Art tent, buy art from local artists!

Sample A Pint of St. Brigid's Brew,,,and Help Catholic Charities

St. Brigid's Brew is a local New Mexican dark chocolate style craft beer formulated by Abbey Brewing and distributed by Admiral Beverage to benefit Catholic Charities' programs. It will be available at Monks' Corner Taproom, 205 Silver Ave. SW, beginning June 10. Join in a special celebration (including food trucks and music) to introduce St. Brigid's Brew at Monks' Corner Taproom, 205 Silver SW G (map), 1:00-4:00 p.m.. For every $5 pint sold, $1 will be donated to Catholic Charities.

Refugee Choir to Perform on Saturday, April 21

South African Orion Duet and Matunda Ya Yesu African Childrens Choir.

South African Orion Duet Ministries, the Immigrant and Refugee Resource Village of Albuquerque (IIRVA) and New Mexico Women's Global Pathways (NMWGP) cordially invite the public to a concert featuring traditional African inspiring and uplifting songs, drumming and movement. The performers from Congo, Burundi, Mozambique, South Africa, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda range in age from 12 to 68.  

Saturday, April 21
Rio Rancho Seventh Day Adventist Church, 
1351 Westside Blvd. in Rio Rancho (map).   
Suggested Donation $20

Proceeds will benefit Matunda Ya Yesu African Choir, the IRRVA, and its flagship program, NMGWP. 

For more information contact Nkazi Sinandile, womensglobalpathways@gmail. com or (505) 435-5741

OffCenter Arts in #ABQ to Host Coffeehouse on February 23

Bonnie Bluhm and Friends is the featured act at a Coffeehouse sponsored OffCenter Community Arts Project on Friday, February 23. The group will be joined by special guest Seth Hoffman. The free event will be held at OffCenter, 808 Park Ave., 6:00-8:00 p.m.  View and purchase art produced at OffCenter, listen to great music, visit with friends and enjoy refreshments. 

Recycled Heart Exhibit Opens in #ABQ on Friday, February 2

Art and recycling goes hand-in-hand. Artists are, nowadays, transforming old, recycled and reused objects into amazing pieces of contemporary art.

Access to the arts is a social justice issue.

ArtStreet, a program of Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, and Harwood Art Center cordially invite the public to an opening reception to this year's exhibit of Recycled Heart on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Harwood Art Center, 7th Street and Mountain Road in Albuquerque (map). Light snacks and refreshments will be served.

The exhibit, which features mixed media and recycled art by ArtStreet artists, will be displayed Feb. 2 to Feb. 23, 2018.

Bringing the injustice of poverty and homelessness together, Recycled Heart is uniquely poised to capture the diverse, distinct, and highly individual responses of ArtStreet artists’ interpretation of their community experiences in relation to poverty and homelessness.

"The show at Harwood is an open and quirky but artistic setting for emerging artists at ArtStreet. Harwood has always been supportive of AHCH and ArtStreet," said AHCH board member Evelyn Kuhn. "It has validated and helped me bring out the artist in me. There is an artist in everyone.”

Masquerade for Medicine Supports AOC, East Central Ministries Clinics

The University of New Mexico's Physician Assistant Class of 2019 invites the public to a charity gala on Saturday, January 20, 2018, 7:00 p.m. to Midnight. The event will be held at Casa Esencia at Hotel Albuquerque, 800 Rio Grande NW in Old Town.

Proceeds will benefit  One Hope Centro de Vida clinic (a project of East Central Ministries) and the Albuquerque Opportunity Center clinic.

Tickets are $42 for VIP attendees (VIP event from 7:00-9:00 p.m.)$32 for the General Public.  (Public event begins at 9:00 p.m.)
Donate or Buy Tickets

UNM Students receive a $10 discount
Prices increase after January 13: VIP $47, GA $37
At the Door VIP: $50, GA $40

For more information contact

Aline Gonzales
505 272.0882
agonza03@salud.unm.edu

Closing Out the Share the Journey Exhibit with a Posada

Tiffany Window, St. Saviour, Bar Harbor, Me.

Join the Norbertine Community at Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey, 5825 Coors Blvd. SW (map) on Saturday, December 16 from 6:30-9:00 pm for the “Share the Journey” Art Exhibit Closing with Las Posadas and posole! 

The art exhibit was put together in conjunction with The Share the Journey campaign, launched by Pope Francis in in September to support our brothers and sisters who have fled their homes seeking a decent and safe life for their families. The Archbishop's Hour radio show broadcast a special program on the campaign in November.

All are invited to evening prayer with the Norbertine Community at 6:00 pm; Posadas will begin at 6:45 pm, followed by Mass.

Share in the journey of the Holy Family and in the journeys of people within and around our community through artworks displayed across the Abbey campus before they are taken down.

Norbertine Abbey to Host 'Share the Journey An Art Exhibition'

We may be journeying as pilgrims, with sickness, as immigrants, as seekers, as refugees, from pain, or toward hope. No matter our path, we share one human journey!

All are welcome to Share the Journey: An Art Exhibition. 
 
Come experience artistic reflections of the human journey from over 40 community efforts and local artists. 

These works, which intend to foster solidarity with those living the immigrant and refugee experience,
reflect on life as journey, one we share together yet one we experience through different and personal paths. 

Norbertine Community of Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey 
5825 Coors Blvd. SW Albuquerque (map)

Apart from the official opening on November 3 and official closing on December 16, the six-week exhibition will follow the Norbertine Library hours, Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Opening 
Friday November 3
6:30-9:00pm 

Visit the Abbey on opening night to get a first look at the visual artworks displayed across the Santa Maria de la Vid campus. Enjoy live musical performances, food trucks and locally roasted coffee

Food Truck Vendors:
– Street Food Sensations
– Lily Marie’s Coffee Company
– Atomic Age Bakery
*Food trucks will accept cash or credit cards

Closing 
Saturday, December 16
6:30-9:00 p.m.
Posadas and Posole

Benefit Concerts in #ABQ for the Victims of Hurricane Maria

Friday, October 6, 7:00 PM
Second Presbyterian Church
812 Edith Blvd. NE, Albuquerque  (map)

Featuring violinist and Music Director Maestro Guillermo Figueroa, Jazz guitarist Marcos Cavalcante, pianist Dr. Mariano Morales, members of Los Pleneros de la 21, and other local artists performing a variety of musical styles. Free-will offering.

Saturday, October 7, 7:30 PM 
National Hispanic Cultural Center
1701 4th Street SW  Albuquerque (map)

Los Pleneros de la 21, an Afro-Puerto Rican bomba and plena ensemble, will perform at the NHCC. Buy Tickets: ($35, $32 w/ $3 discount for students & seniors and $5 discount for Outpost & NHCC members  Donations will be collected at the concert).

Wilkimedia Commons Image from poster by

Dwn1080

Sunday, October 15, 4:00 PM
Second Presbyterian Church
812 Edith Blvd. NE, Albuquerque (map)

Salsa bands in Albuquerque join to benefit the people of Puerto Rico. Featuring Terra Plena, Café Mocha, and DJ Pedro. Dancing, domino tournament, and Puerto Rican food for sale. Tickets at the door $20.00 per person.

OffCenter Arts Project Invites You to a Full Day of Spontaneous Fun

OFFCenter Community Arts Project invites you to its 15th Annual Folk Art Festival, a full day of spontaneous fun for the whole family!  The event will be held at Robinson Park on Sunday, October 1, 8th St. and Central Ave., 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Create Art

Take part  in the Giant Puppet Parade at Noon or create art any time all day in the Art Making Tent. The knitting and drawing work groups in the park offer another alternative to use your creative energy.

Entertainment
There will be four musical acts, folk dancing, magic, fortune telling, and caricature drawing and puppet play performance. Music Performances by: Joanie & Darin, L@sOstr@s, Wild Humans and Sherri & the Ex-Husbands.

Vendors 
More than 100 local artist vendors will be selling affordable, hand-made creations.When you get hungry, you can buy good eats from  local food truck vendors.

OffCenter is a a safe place for everyone to make art, free of charge. "Our mission is to promote positive self identity and resilience through art making by providing a safe environment for creative social interaction with an emphasis to enhance the lives of those most marginalized in our community," says the organization.

On the day of the festival, you are invited to visit OffCenter's studio, just across the street from Robinson Part,  at 808 Park Ave., SW (Open 10 am - 2 pm on Oct. 1)