"For surely I know the plans I have for your welfare and not for harm,
to give you a future with hope for you, says the Lord." Jeremiah 29:11
"When we hear God say through the prophets, For Surely, we believe and the Hebrews believed that this is a certainty...They never lost sight and never lost faith in the fact that God would ultimately deliver on God's promises to them."
"One of my favorite parables--It's recorded as a miracle in the Gospels--the feeding of the 5,000, the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. A Jesus scholar, John Dominic Crossen, shares that story, not as a miracle so much as a parable. What would happen if we take the loaves and the fishes or any resources that we have and actually bless them and then distribute them as a blessing of Jesus.
The people were invited to have all that they had in order to feed all who were there. And Jesus could have waived a hand. The miracle would have been that suddenly enough fishes and loaves appeared...But there's a process that requires our active participation. Jesus said, "Give me what you have.' They brought it forward, he blessed it, and then he said, "You go and distribute it, you do the work." Once they distributed it in accordance with Jesus wanted them to do, there was not only enough, but there was an abundance. An abundance of sufficiency in baskets left over..."
"For surely I know the plans I have for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope for you, says the Lord." Jeremiah 29:11
"Diaspora is the constant reminder that you are not at home. Are you in the diaspora?...Those of us who believe in advocacy are people who know that we have not yet come home, that we are still in the diaspora. That there is still more to do for the city where the city where we live to prosper. We are a non-comformist people. That is why we knock (on) doors on the Hill, that is why we write our members of Congress. That is why we organize communities and individuals to speak out about hunger and poverty, because we are not there yet."
"Verse 11 of Jeremiah 29 is healing. For this strong sense of the diaspora that we are experiencing these days That certainty that things are not right. That we cannot hear the dreams of certain prophets anymore. That the voice of the streets does not agree with the voice of the palace. That it's time for a change. And this is a constant invitation in the sacred test: Do not conform the pattern of this world. "Gracias a Dios, Thanks be to God, we come to verse 11. For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster. To give you a future and hope. "
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.
Fifteen years ago, Bread for the World celebrated its 30th birthday. There were commemorations in Washington and also in communities around the country.
In 2019, as Bread celebrates its 45th birthday, we remember the special event that we put together 15 years ago.
Jesuit Father Bill Byron, who collaborated with Art Simon in forming
Bread for the World in 1974, joined our celebration in Albuquerque in
September of 2004.
The Albuquerque Journal covered or event, interviewing Rev. Byron. The full article is pictured in the left.
Here are some excerpts
Albuquerque Journal Reporter Paul Logan: Why does hunger exist in the world?
Father Bill Byron, S.J. replies: Because God chooses to work with human hands.
"And humanity's hands, including our own, have not applied themselves effectively to the task of eliminating hunger and balancing the worldwide scales of hunger,"
"Bread for the Word is, I'm convinced, an instrument of the Lord's peace."
In his article, Logan noted the misconceptions among the public that nutrition programs, welfare and foreign aid account for a large portion of the U.S. federal budget. This perception, said Father Byron, creates a challenge and a motivation for people of faith.
"Our legislative adovcacy work will defend against efforts to cut back on nutrition and other programs at home and abroad," said the Jesuit priest.
In an interview with Religion News Service this past August, Simon spoke about the challenge before us to attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals established in 2015. The ultimate objective of the 17 goals is to end hunger on the planet by 2030.
"We’ve made tremendous progress in recent decades. But the last few years
have actually set us back a little bit. So the goal of the U.N.
Sustainable Development Goals, getting us to the end by 2030 — possible
but a very steep hill. It will take some extraordinary efforts to make
that happen by 2030."
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.
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.
I innovated a way for me to be a more ethical travel company by
giving myself my own carbon tax...I'm creating a portfolio...What I want to do is empower development in
the hungry world...to be able to develop in a way that would not be
impactful in a negative way to climate change.... -Rick Steves, travel writer and television host
Rick Steves was a surprise guest speaker at the Bread for the World Lobby Day reception on June 11. Steves happened to be in Washington lobbying Congress on another topic, and by coincidence found himself on Capitol Hill on the same day that a few hundred Bread advocates were meeting with their members of the House and Senate to advocate for global nutrition initiatives.
So Steves, a very close friend and supporter of Bread for the World, came to our reception. His presence was serendipitous because it gave him a chance to tell us more about the television special on hunger that he plans to release later this year, entitled Hunger and Hope: Lessons Learned from Ethiopia and Guatemala.
Ending Structural Poverty
"I went down there not to do a tour show on Ethiopia and Guatemala...We didn't even go to the famous places..We can use those countries as a classroom for why there is poverty," Steves told dozens of people gathered in the It's structural. Bread for the World tackles the structural underpinnings of poverty and hunger."
As an example, Steves mentioned the global debt relief campaigns, that Bread and other organizations supported in 2000. "Bread for the World spearheaded this. We led the way in forgiving the debt of the more heavily indebted nations on this planet. That's structural poverty. And we took away that bit of structural poverty."
Climate-Smart Agriculture
In his comments at the Lobby Day reception, Steves spoke of the need to take climate change seriously when creating development programs for poor countries.
"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."
Steves spoke of the need to develop "climate-smart agriculture," which would allow people to produce food and at the same time not contribute so much to the carbon problem on the planet.
To this end, Steves has pledged $200,000 for Bread for the World to support climate-smart agriculture in the hungry world. He is raising these funds by giving himself a carbon tax applied every time he travels to Europe or other destinations to produce his popular programs. Steves outlines his commitment in an article on his website.
This video contains about six-plus minutes of Steves' comments at the Lobby Day reception.
The trip to Washington for the Advocacy Summit was not only about lobbying Congress to support Global Nutrition resolutions, which are the subject of our 2019 Offering of Letters. The trip was about reunions with people I knew from Bread. Some attended the Bread activities, one participated in the CARE conference, and others just live in the Washington area. Here are some selfies and regular photos of those reunions.
Dawn Buller-Pierce (Idaho)
Angie Ruprock-Shaefer (Indiana), Derick Dailey (New York)
Brendan Rice (Washington, D.C.)
Daniel Erdman (Pennsylvania, formerly Albuquerque)
Representatives of nine congregations gathered on Saturday morning, March 16, to discuss the 2019 Offering of Letters: Better Nutrition, Better Tomorrow and to hear from one of our newest members of the Bread for the World national board of directors.
About a dozen people attended the workshop, which included members of Albuquerque Mennonite Church, Annunciation Catholic Church, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, La Mesa Presbyterian Church, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, St. John XXIII Catholic Community, St. Paul Lutheran Church and St. Timothy Lutheran Church. Most of these churches also participated in our 2018 letter-writing campaign, which yielded 1, 353 letters to Congress on protecting safety-net domestic nutrition programs.
Talking Child Nutrition
The topic of this year's letter-writing campaign is very straightforward. We are asking Congress to pass legislation to establish a new, scaled-up
approach to global nutrition. Passage of a bill or resolution will
strengthen U.S. commitment to global child nutrition and will lead other
countries to join us in the global effort to end hunger.
Still, there were some questions. For example, one participant asked whether the legislation Bread supports would target the health of a child before he/she is born. This would mean an emphasis on providing nutrition for expectant mothers.
The answer is yes, of course. The 1,000 Days Campaign, which provides a model for global nutrition initiatives, takes into account the health of a child from the beginning of a mother's pregnancy to the boy or girl's second birthday. "Nutrition programs for pregnant women and young children are highly cost effective. Every dollar spent on them produces on average a $16 return from reduced health care costs and people's improved ability to participate in the labor market," says the Hunger and Poverty Facts section of the four-page position paper on this year's Offering of Letters.
E-Mails, Handwritten Letters and Lobby Day(s)
There were also discussions on whether e-mails are effective, on the timing of letters, and on the mechanics of delivering the actual letters to Congress. We agreed that electronic communications are a relevant way to connect with legislators, but that messages should be personalized and that a postal mailing address should be provided.
St. Timothy Lutheran members
In Albuquerque, some congregations are planning to continue the tradition of delivering the letters to the local office and perhaps taking the opportunity to discuss global nutrition with a local aide. St. Timothy Lutheran and La Mesa Presbyterian Church have both recently organized visits to the local offices of our elected officials in downtown Albuquerque.
Along those lines, we are working on setting up local visits in Albuquerque to the offices of Rep. Debra Haaland, Sen. Martin Heinrich and Sen. Tom Udall, in conjunction with Bread for the World's Lobby Day, which is on June 11. At least two people from Albuquerque are planning to visit Capitol Hill on that day. Several churches and one synagogue (along with a national representative from MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger) organized a local Lobby Day in June 2017.
Board member Kara Bobroff
One of the two people planning to attend Lobby Day in Washington this year is Kara Bobroff, a new member of Bread for the World's board of directors. The visit to Capitol Hill would coincide with the summer board meeting. I (Carlos Navarro) also plan to attend Lobby Day.
Bobroff, founding principal of the Native American Community Academy (NACA) in Albuquerque, was a special guest at our Offering of Letters workshop. She spoke on strategies to engage Native American communities in our anti-hunger work in New Mexico and elsewhere. "As far as getting more Native American communities involved [in anti-hunger efforts], the focus on children is one of the primary ways to do that," said Bobroff. She pointed out that ensuring that children have adequate nutrition is a universal goal for communities across the globe.
In part because of her great success with NACA (which serves as a model for Native communities elsewhere in the country) and her 30-year track record in education, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham earlier this year appointed Bobroff as one of the deputy secretaries of New Mexico Public Education Department (PED). "She helped to create a network school scorecard to provide a more
holistic view of school and student success in order to guide future
educational growth," said a press release from Gov. Lujan Grisham's office.
Bobroff spoke enthusiastically about a new initiative in this year's 60-day session of the New Mexico State Legislature that created a new early education agency. The Early Childhood Education Department, which was approved by the State Legislature, would develop programs for infants and young children up to age 4. The programs would include home visits for families, child care assistance and
prekindergarten. "I think there might be way to have the efforts of [local Bread advocates] connect with some the programming with women and children at that age level," said Bobroff.
So how did Bobroff become acquainted with Bread for the World? She learned about the organization while serving with Bread president David Beckmann on former President Barack Obama's Advisory Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Beckmann asked her to consider becoming a member of the Bread board, and she accepted an invitation to be part of the ballot for the board of directors. She became a member of the board, beginning on Jan. 1, 2019.
As a new board member, it was very valuable for Bobroff to meet with some grassroots members at our Offering of Letters workshop. "It's interesting to know the work that you're doing locally, but also what's happening at the other levels as well," she told participants at the workshop.
Here is a four-minute clip of Bobroff's talk at our local Offering of Letters workshop. (Ivan Westergaard of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Rena Dragoo of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church look on).
At Sen. Tom Udall's weekly reception in Washington, D.C.
Larry is running through heaven right now and has fought an heroic fight with cancer. -from Ellen Buelow's Facebook poston March 8, 2019.
Larry Buelow was one of the healthiest persons I knew. He tried to eat right and he exercised frequently. His favorite type of activity was running. In fact, he was part of a local running club.
Exercise gave us a common theme to discuss. I try to work out as frequently as I can, but I hardly seemed to achieve the same results as Larry, who seemed like a very fit guy.
Larry was a strong supporter of our anti-hunger efforts. He mostly worked from the sidelines, while Ellen was the one who became involved directly in our Bread for the World and Interfaith Hunger Coalition committees and the active work of ending hunger. Larry often offered the support we needed. He recorded some of the speakers for our local celebration of Bread for the World;s 35th anniversary and then posted the videos on his vimeo account. One year, Larry also recorded Rev. Bob Campbell, the former pastor of Our Lady of our Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community, endorsing our Offering of Letters campaign
Panel with Amanda Dezan (Oxfam), Larry and Ellen Buelow
An advocate for advocacy
Larry enjoyed the legislative advocacy process, participating several years in Bread for the World's Lobby Day. He was also very willing to share his insights and expertise regarding our roles as citizen advocates.
In our 2017, Offering of Letters workshop, he and Ellen were part of a panel of local anti-hunger advocates who spoke about their experiences connecting with elected officials.
Very often, our visits to congressional offices were with legislative aides (whom we got to know well). But Larry and Ellen were fond of speaking about their encounter with then Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham on an airplane coming back to Albuquerque. They conversed about the ask of the year's Offering of Letters, which Rep. Lujan Grisham wholeheartedly supported. Larry, a lifelong Republican, was a strong believer that hunger can be best addressed in a bipartisan manner.
Larry participated in a local Lobby day in 2017
One of the last times I had a chance to spend a meaningful amount was in March of 2018, when we walked from the Roundhouse to a coffee shop in Santa Fe. Instead of just picking up coffee, we had chance to sit down and chat on a variety of subjects related to hunger and politics and his work with refugees via Catholic Charities.
We happened to be in Santa Fe for End Hunger Day, and also to connect with the lead sponsors of House Memorial 90, which proposed the creation of a Hunger Council to address hunger in New Mexico in a comprehensive manner and on a long-term basis.
Larry was unable to join us in March 2019, when House Memorial 65 not only reaffirmed the existence of hunger council, but also provided for the creation of a hunger caucus, led by Rep. Joanne Ferrary (a co-sponsor of both HM90 and HM 65). Even though he was unable to join us, Ellen was there in Santa Fe, offering not only her support but that of Larry. That was on the Tuesday before he passed away.
Larry will be greatly missed. and our efforts to end hunger in New Mexico, in our country, and around the world are stronger because of his participation. We continue our anti-hunger work with his strong blessing.
She’s traveled all over the world to learn firsthand how hunger and food insecurity look in different countries (there’s not a standard template, she says). She spends a great deal of time in Washington, DC, to lobby for legislation that assists people who are food insecure (people who do not have reliable access to nutritious food they can afford). But a good portion of her time is spent at home in Michiana, helping the hungry and the impoverished in local communities. “It’s endlessly rewarding,” she says. “It’s what I’m meant to do.” -Article in Edible Michiana magazine
I was so proud to see my friend Angie Ruprock-Shafer featured in a recent edition of the Edible Michiana magazine, which focuses on a variety of food issues, including nutrition, community agriculture and hunger. The print edition of this issue was out on display counters several weeks ago, but the article appeared online in mid-May.
Angie and I served together on the board of directors of Bread for the World for a few years. When she came on board, she was on the communications staff of Church World Service (the folks that bring you the CROP Walk).
The article, entitlted "Hyperlocal focus on the hungry leads local woman to global goal,"notes that Angie's Christian and humanitarian values are strong reasons why she is so involved in many different ways to fight hunger (from social media to direct advocacy to policy making). “The Bible talks endlessly about fighting hunger,” Rupchock-Schafer told article author Mike Petrucelli
And now Angie is going to take her fight against hunger to a different level. She is running for a seat in the Marshall County Commission so she can become a participant in crafting public policy.
This article is a great tribute to Angie You can read it here
But this is not the first time that Angie has been quoted in Edible Michiana. She was quoted in a piece about food councils in October 2017.“Farm-to-school programs help create a steady market for local
farmers and provide fresh, nutritious food for our kids,” said Angela
Rupchock-Schafer, a founding member of the Marshall County Food Council.
“Good nutrition is essential to help our students thrive—especially
those who may face hunger at home.” -Read full article
"There is an unprecedented surge of first-time female candidates... running for offices big and small, from the
U.S. Senate and state legislatures to local school boards. At least 79
women are exploring runs for governor in 2018, potentially doubling a
record for female candidates set in 1994, according to the Center for
American Women and Politics at Rutgers University." -Article in Time magazine, January 18, 2018
Two members of the Bread for the World family have cast their hats into the ring. They are part of the growing trend around the country of women running for some sort of office.The entry of Dawn Buller Pierce and Angie Ruprock-Shafer into the political arena is a natural progression of their anti-hunger activism. As members of Bread for the World, Dawn and Angie were heavily involved in seeking to influence public policy.
If they succeed in winning their elections, Dawn and Angie will be part of the process of creating public policy. Granted, much of their activism for Bread involved federal legislation (although I'm sure they were just as involved at the local level). In their new roles, they would be having an effect on issues that are more local. Dawn is running for Senate District 21 in Idaho and Angie is seeking a seat on the Marshall County Council in Indiana.
Oh, did I tell you that both Angie and Dawn are members of the Bread board?
Dawn Buller Pierce has created a Campaign page on Facebook. To support Dawn and to stay updated on her campaign, she invites you to Like her Page: Pierce for Senate District 21
So, a few things that I support: ~ Medicaid expansion in Idaho ~ Gowen Field has empty and abandoned housing units. Let's fix those up and use them for homeless veterans ~ No one should be taxed into poverty ~ We cannot balance any budget on the backs of the poor (Go to her page to see the rest of her agenda)
Angie Ruprock-Shafer does not have a campaign page, at least not yet. But she has let her friends on Facebook know that she is running for a seat on the Marshall County Council in Indiana.
"Filed to run for Marshall County Council today. Serving the community is my passion. I'd be honored if you'd support me. I'll work hard for your vote and for common-sense, compassionate policy that works for us ALL!!"
"As leaders from diverse families of U.S. Christianity, we are called by the Spirit to work together with new urgency against the resurgence of racism and persistence of poverty in America. We see around us an increase of harmful attitudes and policies toward people of color and people in need. That painful reality and the current push for trillions of dollars in cuts to anti-poverty programs are bringing us together in a new way."
"The declaration goes on to call Congress and our churches to action. We are hand-delivering this message to every member of Congress, and we ask that you share it with your leaders and members of your communities," said Rev. Jim Wallis, president and founder of Sojourners, who helped organize the effort.
“For some, the idea of a day off from school sounds like fun, particularly if there is snow involved. But for others it means going without the safety and food that school provides." #SnowDay#Hungerhttps://t.co/SyRZtKBeou
Warmest congratulations to Max Finberg, who was honored for his wide efforts to address hunger. Max at one time served as executive director of the Alliance to End Hunger (an affiliate of Bread for the World) and also sat in some Bread board meetings (as a representative of former Rep. Tony Hall)
Betty Anne Donnelly, a former board member of Bread for the World, reflects on the First Sunday of Advent. Her reflection is posted in the Catholic Women Preach site. Her reflection focuses on our Christian responsibility during Advent to be both be vigilant and act faithfully.
"Do we take the time for prayerful discernment to watch how God's reign is unfolding in history? Do we truly look through the lens of our faith and identify the serious obstacles that impede the full flourishing of God's love and thus demand our attention: things like widespread hunger, poverty and war. One obvious difference between our own time and that of Mark's listeners is our globalized economy ..Isn't Jesus urging us to be attentive to the urgent challenges facing the least of our sisters and brothers worldwide?"
Kimberly Burge made five appearances in New Mexico in April 2016 to discuss her book The Born Frees. Burge has spoken to audiences and has been a guest on broadcast media in many parts of the country about her experiences working with a group of girls on a writing project in Gugulethu, a black township about ten
miles outside Cape Town. Her most recent discussion came via a TEDx event using
the TED conference format in Washington, D.C. in June of this year. Below is the YouTube video of Kimberly's Ted Talk and the text that came along with it.
People don't always question the curious reasons why a place or a community or individual lives have been overlooked or excluded. Kimberly Burge is a narrative journalist, a longtime activist, and a Fulbright Scholar to South Africa. She earned a bachelor of science in journalism at Bowling Green State University, a master of fine arts in nonfiction writing from George Mason University, and was a fellow in global religion reporting for the International Reporting Project at Johns Hopkins University. A contributing writer for Sojourners magazine, she previously worked for twelve years at Bread for the World, a Washington-based advocacy organization combatting hunger and poverty in the United States and worldwide. In 2005, she accompanied 150 grassroots activists to the G-8 activities in Scotland, where an international mobilization organized by grassroots leaders, along with Bob Geldof and Bono, called on world leaders to increase efforts to fight poverty in Africa. Kimberly has published feature stories, editorials and reviews on issues of culture, politics, global poverty and development, faith and public policy. Her articles include an account of Johnny Cash’s last public performance (“Johnny Cash Goes Home,” Sojourners, January 2004) and an award-winning profile of writer Anne Lamott (“Crooked Little Faith,” Sojourners, May-June 1999). She has spoken about the girls of Amazw’Entombi at “After Girl Power: What’s Next?” an an international girls’ studies conference hosted by the Centre for
Women’s Studies at the University of York, U.K, and at “Culture,
Creative Transformation, and Adversity,” a faculty seminar at Waterford
Institute of Technology in Waterford, Ireland. In 2012, as Visiting
Humanities Scholar, she led a creative writing workshop for 25 inmates
at Cumberland Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland.
She was born in San Antonio, Texas; grew up in Blytheville, Arkansas,
and Cincinnati; currently lives in Washington, DC; and returns to Cape
Town every chance she gets. This talk was given at a TEDx event using
the TED conference format but independently organized by a local
community.
The problem is so big that we need everybody. We need
private and public, we need faith-based, we need nonprofits. The federal
meals run between 80 and 90 percent total, so they are essential. Dave Miner
Back in September, Indianapolis Bread for the World advocate and activist David Miner went on a 16-day fast to draw attention to the harmful impact that proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) would have on low-income families in Indiana.
Dave is making sure that the message he brought to the public during the fast continues to resonate not only in Indiana but also at the national level. He offers comments in an interview on Indiana Public Radio. Here is a link to an article from the Indiana NPR affiliate (including an audio clip quoting Dave, Jessica Fraser of the Indiana Institute for Working Families and Emily Weickert Bryant of Feeding Indiana's Hungry).
Bread members and people of faith around the country are fasting, praying and speaking out against cuts in SNAP and other nutrition programs (and other programs that directly or indirectly affect hunger) through a campaign created by a coalition of faith groups that includes Bread for the World.
Many individuals and faith communities are setting aside some time on the 21st of each month to participate in the campaign, entitled For Such a Time as This. The 21st is symbolic because this the time of the month when SNAP benefits usually run out for most beneficiaries.
In Albuquerque, St. Paul Lutheran Church is leading a vigil on Tuesday, Nov. 21. The ELCA congregation will be holding this action every 21st day of the month at its labyrinth garden, and all people of faith and conscience in Albuquerque are invited to attend. "Our plan is to gather at 5:00 p.m. for brief time of quiet prayer, meditation, walking the labyrinth, perhaps sing a taize song,"
said Ivan Westergaard, one of the planners of the event along with
Karla Ice and others at the church.
I was in the city of Sonsonate in El Salvador, a small country in Central America. I met a Franciscan missionary there may years ago who wanted to feed the poor at least a good Christmas dinner. When he succeeded, he was so happy...so delighted in that feast that he determined that no matter how (long) it would take, he would see that the poor and homeless would get a meal every single day... God wants us to feed the Hungry." -Larry Bernard, OFM
Rev. Larry Bernard, a Franciscan who has served in Central America and in many areas of New Mexico, including the Pueblo communities, offered a reflection at Feed the Hungry Day on September 30 at Holy Family Church. Here is an excerpt from his talk.
Father Larry's reflection was one of several spiritual activities for people from around the Archdiocese of Santa Fe who attended at the event. Participants were also offered the opportunity to engage in One on the Journey, a solidarity prayer walk created by Catholic Relief Services. This is a self-guided meditation using photography and written reflection that invites participants to pray in a special way for our brothers and sisters around the world.
The Prayer Walk is a spiritual journey
into the heart of our deepest selves...
And back out into this world with
a greater understanding...
Of who we are and who we
are called to be.
A walking meditation of solidarity...
of becoming...
ONE...ONE
in mind...
ONE
in spirit ...
and
ONE
in heart.
It is an invitation to walk in rhythm
with
ONE
’s breathing...
Aware that as you walk as
ONE
on the journey... Download the booklet
Photo: Joy Dinaro
This day was also about action and learning. A morning panel offered several examples of how hunger is being addressed in our archdiocese, including the direct feeding efforts by the folks at St. Felix Pantry and St. Vincent de Paul in the South Valley and the legislative advocacy work by churches involved in Bread for the World locally. I spoke about the importance of advocacy as a very important way to address hunger, particularly the need to preserve funding for programs that help people directly, including SNAP. There was also a touching account by a woman who had received assistance from St. Felix during a time of need.
After lunch, participants were offered the opportunity to help bag non-perishable food items to supply a local food bank.
Some participants opted to take some of the soup that was left over from lunch to people living on the streets of Albuquerque.
We also learned about the work of Catholic Relief Services and Global Solidarity from regional representative Norma Valdez.
The day concluded with a Mass presided by Archbishop John Wester.
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.Isaiah 58:6-8
“Every meal I’ll miss for the next 16 days represents roughly a million meals in jeopardy for Hoosier children, seniors and veterans if the drastic cuts being debated in Congress now become reality.. I have a plan to fast safely. My decision to undertake what I know will be a difficult task is my own choice, while our most vulnerable neighbors could go hungry through no choice of their own. I feel strongly that people of conscience should speak out, in whatever way they feel moved to do so. This is one way I have chosen.” Dave Miner
On September 21, Bread for the World activist David Miner began a
16-day fast to shine the spotlight on the plight of a million residents
of Indiana who are at risk of hunger and the potential loss of millions
of meals if Congress passes dramatic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP).
There was a remarkable coincidence with timing of Miner's fast. The state Hunger Network, which includes the Central Indiana Bread team, had worked for six months to schedule a meeting with Gov. Eric Holcomb. They succeeded in securing a lunch meeting with the governor. There was one problem with the governor's lunch invitation (a good problem), and you know what that problem was."Dave sat next to the Gov during the lunch -- in front of an empty plate -- while everyone else ate their meal," said fellow Indiana Bread advocate Angie Ruprock-Schafer.
“This is a national issue with a very intimate impact; we all likely
know people who wake up many days without enough money or food to feed
their families, or children who routinely go to bed hungry — but we
don’t realize we know them," Miner said on the day he started the fast. “There’s a hidden aspect of
hunger and poverty that’s staggering. The overwhelming number of
individuals and families who find themselves in these circumstances is
why I’ve felt called to undertake this fast as a personal act of public
advocacy. I urge anyone who’s committed to ending hunger to contact our
U.S. Senators and their congressional representative today.”
Here is how Miner determined the formula by which residents of Indiana would be affected.
$150 billion cut to SNAP over 10 years <= approved House budget resolution Divide by $3 per meal = 50 billion meals Divide by 10 = 5 billion meals per year
Indiana is an average state, Divide by 50 = 100 million meals lost in Indiana per year Divide by 2 = 50 million meals per year (over half of SNAP benefits go to kids, vets and seniors)
We have not heard yet what type of impression Miner's fast made on Gov. Holcomb. However, there is no way to ignore the message.
"I pray that eating next to a man fasting for the least of our
sisters and brothers, made an impact on Governor Holcomb. And, may
Dave's faith-filled leadership be a model for us all," said
Ruprock-Schafer.
(P.S. I invite you to look closely at the chart above of the 10 hungriest states. New Mexico ranks fourth behind Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. So those cuts in SNAP would have a major negative impact on the residents of our state).
As Congress returns and as leaders of the Senate and House continue their desperate search for ways to pass their health and budget proposals, I have one simple question for those whose votes will decide these matters: Is this really why you came to Washington, to take health care from the sick and food from the hungry?
I hope and believe their answer is no. However, the health and budget
proposals before Congress will do just that. They make devastating cuts
to health care and nutrition for families with the fewest resources and
power to fund massive tax cuts for those with the most resources and
power...There is no popular mandate for these upside-down policies and priorities.
At
this time of policy chaos and preoccupation with presidential tweets,
it is worth remembering that less than two years ago Congress united to
applaud Pope Francis’ call “to defend and preserve the dignity of your
fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common
good.” Last May, President Trump met and promised Pope Francis, “I will
not forget what you said.” With his strong words and humble ways, Pope
Francis reminds all of us, “the measure of the greatness of a society is
found in the way it treats those most in need, those who have nothing
apart from their poverty.” Whether the president, members of Congress
and the rest of us heed these words will be a fundamental moral measure
of who they are as leaders and who we are as a nation.
