GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS . . . what can you do?

In Andrew Kang Bartlett's list: 52 ways toward a just and joy-filled food system, you will find several ways on a spectrum of hunger advocacy work that will enable you and your congregation to become involved. Make a difference in a situation that sometimes feels overwhelming at best.

DON'T LET CHARITY CHOKE JUSTICE

Hunger Facts:

Do you know that Hunger has a cure? and we are called to be a part of it!

Charity relieves suffering and Justice addresses the systems that cause hunger. Don't let charity "choke" justice. In David Hilfiker's compelling article, he addresses the need for both:

"Soup kitchens and shelters started as emergency responses to terrible problems — to help ensure that people do not starve, or die from the elements. No one, certainly not their founders, ever considered these services as appropriate permanent solutions to the problems. But soup kitchens and food pantries are now our standard response to hunger; cities see shelters as adequate housing for the homeless. Our church-sponsored shelters can camouflage the fact that charity has replaced an entitlement to housing that was lost when the federally subsidized housing program was gutted twenty years ago. Soup kitchens can mask unconscionable cuts in food stamps. Go to the article.

One Great Hour of Sharing Offering

February 25, 2009 is Ash Wednesday, which begins our Lenten Season. What does Lent mean to you? It is not uncommon to hear our brothers and sisters talking about "giving up" something for Lent. One of my most meaningful Lenten Seasons was when I made a commitment for Lent, which at the time included a Sunday evening bible study with a few close friends. The Presbyterian Hunger Program has many ideas that can make this Lenten Season a spiritual practice that benefits us individually and corporately. For example, fasting during the weekend, and putting the few dollars that we might have spent for a meal towards the One Great Hour of Sharing. This Special Offering, which is typically taken during Palm Sunday, helps support the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Self-Development of People and the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program.