According to the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability Plan for Haiti, the country does not have a Women Peace and Security National Action Plan, and gangs target women and girls as a weapon of war, contributing to a rise in sexual and gender-based violence (GBV). Women and girls disproportionately face hunger and malnutrition worsened by danger to their physical safety. The people of Haiti and the world know that inaction can never be a viable option in the face of hunger, malnutrition, and physical and sexual violence. 

Bread for the World acknowledges, along with the rest of the global community, that the larger context in Haiti is heartbreaking. On March 22, 2024, humanitarian officials published an update on the extent of the hunger emergency in Haiti, titled, “Gang Activity Drives Nearly 5 Million People Into High Levels of Acute Food Insecurity.”  Additionally, an estimated 1.4 million people are living on the verge of famine. 

The same day, March 22, CNN reporters in Haiti’s capital published disturbing videos and photos with a headline beginning “Carnage on the Streets of Port-au-Prince…” The language is unusual for a news report: “Haiti’s capital has been trapped in a gory cycle… An insurgent league of heavily armed gangs is waging war on the city itself… Much of the Haitian state has disintegrated, its courts occupied by gangs, its prisons left open, the prime minister effectively exiled…”

The most recent spate of violence means women and girls will be affected by the violence and destruction. According to the U.S government, civil unrest, political instability, failure to respect the rule of law, and lack of economic opportunity are contributing to high rates of GBV in Haiti, with one in three Haitian girls and women ages 15 to 49 reporting physical and/or sexual violence. Reports indicate that rape, sexual assault, and harassment occurred with impunity even before the recent rise in gang activity, and survivors are frequently blamed for the rape and abuse they endure.

As it relates to women, peace, and security integration into the political infrastructure of Haiti, women are chronically underrepresented in decision-making roles and have been left out of key judicial, administrative, legislative, and democratic systems, with only 11.5 percent of the judiciary and 3 percent of parliament seats currently filled by women. Haiti ranks 187th out of 190 countries in terms of women’s political representation (190 is the lowest). The lack of Haitian women having a seat at the leadership table imperils peace and security for everyone. Insecurity traumatizes people and communities.

However, local women’s groups remain a major pillar of resilience in Haiti, notwithstanding the dangerous and chaotic situation around them. It is critical to center the rights of women and girls and provide them with essential forms of support, including economic, psychosocial, nutrition, relocation assistance, and other necessities. UN Women is working with various local organizations, with the support of the UN Peacebuilding Fund, to carry out this work.

The Peacebuilding Fund has supported projects in Haiti that reached thousands of women and girls, connecting them with the tools they need to build stronger livelihoods, such as training in agricultural best practices, running a business, gender equality, and women’s leadership. Support from the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund and local partners also brings hope and has given some women an opportunity to rebuild their lives after surviving gender-based violence, hunger, and other traumas. 

One such initiative is the Strategic Support Unit for Agricultural Development (CASDA) program, which focuses on empowering women who have survived gender-based violence. The program provides counseling, workshops on empowerment and women’s rights, and training aimed at strengthening their resilience and economic independence.

One program participant explained, “My life was filled with fear and uncertainty. The violence I suffered left me without hope,” she said. “But thanks to the opportunity provided by CASDA, I was able to start my own small business. Today, I am proud to say that I am financially independent and that I can provide for the needs of my family.” 

“This project has given me confidence in myself and in the future,” she said. “I am grateful to all those who have made this possible.”

These stories of hope where women thrive and enable their families and communities to thrive, even in the most difficult circumstances, remind us that programs that promote food security, personal safety, and resilience remain important. Inaction is never a viable option. 

The World Food Programme (WFP), with the support of Food for Peace and other supplemental humanitarian resources, provides lifesaving food aid in Haiti. However, WFP indicated that it needs financial and other support from leaders such as the United States to help meet funding needs. In order to continue to implement its lifesaving operations in Haiti, WFP is seeking at least an additional $95 million.

Haiti is a near neighbor of the U.S., and saving the lives of people who are unprotected from extreme violence and acute food insecurity is key for our national and economic interests, and it is a bipartisan moral imperative. 

Abiola Afolayan is Co-Director, Policy and Research Institute, at Bread for the World.

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These are not the only passages that address the challenges of people who face hunger and poverty or Jesus’ mandate to care for our neighbors.

As you consider the actions you might take in advocating for an end to hunger, you are invited to find inspiration or motivation in a favorite Bible story or verse or to explore the Bible on your own.

Use this brochure as a guide for finding your own basis as a Christian for answering this call.

Brochure Downloads:

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“Do good, seek justice.” Jeremiah 1:17

Black History Month 2023 invites a timely reflection on how we repair the historic root causes of hunger in communities in Africa and in communities elsewhere in the world where people of African descent live. I wrote the following in the 2019 Pan-African Bread devotional:

“[A]fter centuries of structural change, protests, and policy reforms, most often led by Africans and people of African descent, why do these groups still experience such disproportionately high percentages of hunger and poverty today? And why is there still such a wide wealth and income gap between these groups and individuals of European and Asian descent? An essential part of the answer lies in the history of the quadricentennial of the transatlantic voyage of African peoples from the country of Angola in 1619 to Jamestown, Virginia. The practice, and later policy, of enslaving African peoples before, during, and after this time are the foundation on which inequitable policies were established.”

We are in a season in which church and public policy initiatives in 2022 and 2023 have provided some timely responses that move us towards repair of this history. In January 2023, the Church of England’s Church Commissioners released their report of a forensic investigation into one particular component of the Anglican Church’s historic link with the trans-Atlantic slave trade. They admitted institutional guilt and moral liability, and then committed to a solemn public effort to make reparation to the present-day descendants of the communities that were negatively impacted.

Repair of this history must also systemically address the environmental crisis and engage climate justice. In November 2022, a new loss and damage fund for which Bread has advocated was adopted at the 27^th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).

In August 2022, a presentment outlining the harms and offenses of the Catholic Church regarding the transatlantic slave trade and slavery was presented at the Vatican. The presentment also referenced the legacy of those harms and offenses and reparations measures that are needed for full repair. “The Catholic Church has admitted that it played a role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade,” said Kamm Howard, director of Reparations United, who is co-convener of the Global Circle for Reparations and Healing (GCRH). “The focus now will be on continued conversations to move the work forward to ensure repair becomes a reality.”

In 2022, A preliminary report by a statewide panel to study and recommend ways to implement reparations for Black Californians outlined how a “blight law from 1945 paved the way for officials to use eminent domain to destroy Black communities,” according to a Dec. 7, 2022, New York Times article (“A Look at What California Has Done So Far About Reparations”).

This year, Bread has as a primary advocacy focus the reauthorization of the farm bill. The farm bill is our nation’s most important national food system legislation. It is critical to the work of ending hunger at home and abroad. Supporting the farm bill legislation through your Offering of Letters, lobby visits, phone calls, and social media will help build healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems that move us towards repairing historic injustices. Please click here to learn more about the farm bill and the Offering of Letters, and to engage this domestic and international timely call for justice.

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World.

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• Food insecurity in Wyoming averaged 11.2%.
• Wyoming’s food insecurity rate was 7% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 9.4%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 7.2%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Wyoming by 24% and the number of people living in poverty decreased by 8,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 9,000 people above the poverty line in Wyoming, including 4,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Wisconsin averaged 9.90%.
• Wisconsin’s food insecurity rate was 0.5% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 8.6%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 5.4%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Wisconsin by 37% and the number of people living in poverty by 188,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 110,000 people above the poverty line in Wisconsin, including 47,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in West Virginia averaged 14%.
• That makes West Virginia the 4th hungriest state with a food insecurity rate 34% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 15.0%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 9.6%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in West Virginia by 36% and the number of people living in poverty by 99,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 62,000 people above the poverty line in West Virginia, including 21,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Washington averaged 7.90%.
• Washington’s food insecurity rate was 24% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 7.6%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 7.0%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Washington by 8% and the number of people living in poverty by 45,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 183,000 people above the poverty line in Washington, including 81,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Virginia averaged 7.80%.
• Virginia’s food insecurity rate was 25% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 8.80%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 8.60%, reducing the number of people living in poverty in Virginia by 15,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 121,000 people above the poverty line in Virginia, including 52,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Vermont averaged 7.9%.
• Vermont’s food insecurity rate was 26% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 8.2%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 6.9%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Vermont by 16% and the number of people living in poverty by 8,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 14,000 people above the poverty line in Vermont, including 5,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Utah averaged 11.2%.
• Utah’s food insecurity rate was 7% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 7.5%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 6.5%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Utah by 13% and the number of people living in poverty by 33,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 47,000 people above the poverty line in Utah, including 23,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Texas averaged 13.70%.
• That makes Texas the 6th-hungriest state with a food insecurity rate 32% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 12.90%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 10.40%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Texas by 24% and the number of people living in poverty by 713,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 703,000 people above the poverty line in Texas, including 369,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Tennessee averaged 11.20%.
• Tennessee’s food insecurity rate was 7% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 12.2%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 9.1%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Tennessee by 25% and the number of people living in poverty by 214,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 167,000 people above the poverty line in Tennessee, including 68,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in South Dakota averaged 8.7%.
• South Dakota’s food insecurity rate was 16% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged a similar 10.2%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 6.2%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in South Dakota by 39% and the number of people living in poverty by 35,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 23,000 people above the poverty line in South Dakota, including 11,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in South Carolina averaged 12.60%.
• That makes South Carolina the 8th-hungriest state with a food insecurity rate 18% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 14.1%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 10.0%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in South Carolina by 29% and the number of people living in poverty by 208,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 142,000 people above the poverty line in South Carolina, including 72,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Rhode Island averaged 8.4%.
• Rhode Island’s food insecurity rate was 20% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 9.0%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 6.0%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Rhode Island by 33% and the number of people living in poverty by 33,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 26,000 people above the poverty line in Rhode Island, including 10,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Pennsylvania averaged 9.2%.
• Pennsylvania’s food insecurity rate was 12% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 10.0%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 7.6%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Pennsylvania by 24% and the number of people living in poverty by 310,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 330,000 people above the poverty line in Pennsylvania, including 129,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Oregon averaged 10.3%.
• Oregon’s food insecurity rate was slightly lower (0.1 percentage point) than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 9.0%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 7.0%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Oregon by 22% and the number of people living in poverty by 80,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 117,000 people above the poverty line in Oregon, including 50,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Oklahoma averaged 13.80%.
• That makes Oklahoma the 5th hungriest state with a food insecurity rate 25% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 13.80% as well.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 9.1%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Oklahoma by 34% and the number of people living in poverty by 183,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 101,000 people above the poverty line in Oklahoma, including 47,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

The post Oklahoma: A Hunger and Poverty Snapshot appeared first on Bread for the World.

• Food insecurity in Ohio averaged 10.8%.
• Ohio’s food insecurity rate was 4% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 12.3%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 8.1%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Ohio by 34% and the number of people living in poverty by 492,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 317,000 people above the poverty line in Ohio, including 132,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

The post Ohio: A Hunger and Poverty Snapshot appeared first on Bread for the World.

• Food insecurity in North Dakota averaged 7.70%.
• North Dakota’s food insecurity rate was 26% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 9.1%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 7.1%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in North Dakota by 22% and the number of people living in poverty by 15,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 15,000 people above the poverty line in North Dakota, including 7,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in North Carolina averaged 10.90%.
• North Carolina’s food insecurity rate was 4% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 12.8%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 9.9%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in North Carolina by 23% and the number of people living in poverty by 304,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 297,000 people above the poverty line in North Carolina, including 130,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in New York averaged 10.3%.
• New York’s food insecurity rate was slightly lower (0.1 percentage point) than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 12.3%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 12.1%, reducing the number of people living in poverty in New York by 40,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 620,000 people above the poverty line in New York, including 249,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in New Mexico averaged 11.5%.
• New Mexico’s food insecurity rate was 10% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 16.7%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 10.6%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in New Mexico by 36% and the number of people living in poverty by 127,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 64,000 people above the poverty line in New Mexico, including 28,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in New Jersey averaged 8.3%.
• New Jersey’s food insecurity rate was 20% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The poverty rate in New Jersey in 2021 (using the Supplemental Poverty Measure) was 8.1%, which was 0.3 percentage points higher than the national average of 7.8%.
• New Jersey’s poverty rate is high compared to the rest of the nation in large part because of the high cost of housing. Four in 10 low-income people in Maryland are homeless or pay over half their income for rent.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 155,000 people above the poverty line in New Jersey, including 70,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

The post New Jersey: A Hunger and Poverty Snapshot appeared first on Bread for the World.

• Food insecurity in New Hampshire averaged 5.4%.
• New Hampshire’s food insecurity rate was the lowest of any state, just over half the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 5.60%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 5.50%, reducing the number of people living in poverty in New Hampshire by 2,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 13,000 people above the poverty line in New Hampshire, including 5,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

The post New Hampshire: A Hunger and Poverty Snapshot appeared first on Bread for the World.

• Food insecurity in Nevada averaged 10.2%.
• Nevada’s food insecurity rate was slightly lower (0.2 percentage points) than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 12.1%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 9.3%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Nevada by 23% and the number of people living in poverty by 85,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 74,000 people above the poverty line in Nevada, including 37,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

The post Nevada: A Hunger and Poverty Snapshot appeared first on Bread for the World.

• Food insecurity in Nebraska averaged 10.6%.
• Nebraska’s food insecurity rate is slightly higher (0.2 percentage points) than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 8.4%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 6.2%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Nebraska by 26% and the number of people living in poverty by 43,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 29,000 people above the poverty line in Nebraska, including 16,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

The post Nebraska: A Hunger and Poverty Snapshot appeared first on Bread for the World.

• Food insecurity in Montana averaged 10.4%.
• Montana’s food insecurity rate was identical to the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 10.4%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 8.2%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Montana by 21% and the number of people living in poverty by 24,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 26,000 people above the poverty line in Montana, including 11,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

The post Montana: A Hunger and Poverty Snapshot appeared first on Bread for the World.

• Food insecurity in Missouri averaged 12.0%.
• That makes Missouri the 10th hungriest state with a food insecurity rate 13% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 10.4%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 8.2%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Missouri by 21% and the number of people living in poverty by 203,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 131,000 people above the poverty line in Missouri, including 58,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

The post Missouri: A Hunger and Poverty Snapshot appeared first on Bread for the World.

• Food insecurity in Mississippi averaged 15.3%.
• That makes Mississippi the hungriest state with a food insecurity rate 32% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 18.1%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 11.9%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Mississippi by 34% and the number of people living in poverty by 183,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 109,000 people above the poverty line in Mississippi, including 49,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

The post Mississippi: A Hunger and Poverty Snapshot appeared first on Bread for the World.

• Food insecurity in Minnesota averaged 7.4%.
• Minnesota’s food insecurity rate was 29% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 7.0%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 5.1%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Minnesota by 28% and the number of people living in poverty by 107,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 69,000 people above the poverty line in Minnesota, including 32,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

The post Minnesota: A Hunger and Poverty Snapshot appeared first on Bread for the World.

• Food insecurity in Michigan averaged 11.4%.
• Michigan’s food insecurity rate was 9% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 11.0%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 7.6%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Michigan by 31% and the number of people living in poverty by 335,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 272,000 people above the poverty line in Michigan, including 112,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

The post Michigan: A Hunger and Poverty Snapshot appeared first on Bread for the World.

• Food insecurity in Massachusetts averaged 8.40%.
• Massachusetts’s food insecurity rate was 19% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The poverty rate in Massachusetts in 2021 (using the Supplemental Poverty Measure) was 8.0%, which was 0.2 percentage points higher than the nation overall (7.8%).
• Massachusetts’s poverty rate is higher than the national average in large part because of the high cost of housing. Four in 10 low-income people in Massachusetts are homeless or pay over half their income for rent.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 125,000 people above the poverty line in Massachusetts, including 45,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Maryland averaged 8.7%.
• Maryland’s food insecurity rate was 16% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The poverty rate in Maryland in 2021 (using the Supplemental Poverty Measure) was 9.6%, which was 1.8 percentage points higher than the nation overall (7.8%).
• Maryland’s poverty rate is high compared to the rest of the nation in large part because of the high cost of housing. Four in 10 low-income people in Maryland are homeless or pay over half their income for rent.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 99,000 people above the poverty line in Maryland, including 49,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Maine averaged 9.50%.
• Maine’s food insecurity rate was 9% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 9.2%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 5.4%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Maine by 41% and the number of people living in poverty by 52,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 43,000 people above the poverty line in Maine per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Louisiana averaged 14.5%.
• That makes Louisiana the 3rdhungriest state with a food insecurity rate 28% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 17.2%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 11.6%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Louisiana by 33% and the number of people living in poverty by 252,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 163,000 people above the poverty line in Louisiana, including 75,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Kentucky averaged 12.3%.
• That makes Kentucky the 9th hungriest state with a food insecurity rate 15% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 14.6%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 9.9%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Kentucky by 32% and the number of people living in poverty by 208,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 137,000 people above the poverty line in Kentucky, including 58,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Kansas averaged 10.2%.
• Kansas’s food insecurity rate was 2% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 8.6%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 6.0%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Kansas by 30% and the number of people living in poverty decreased by 75,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 65,000 people above the poverty line in Kansas, including 33,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Iowa averaged 7%.
• Iowa had the 2nd lowest food insecurity rate of all 50 states, 33% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 9.5%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 6.0%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Iowa by 37% and the number of people living in poverty by 110,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 57,000 people above the poverty line in Iowa, including 26,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Indiana averaged 9.7%.
• Indiana’s food insecurity rate was 7% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 10.9%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 7.4%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Indiana by 32% and the number of people living in poverty by 233,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 141,000 people above the poverty line in Indiana, including 66,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Illinois averaged 9.4%.
• Illinois’s food insecurity rate was 10% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 9.3%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 7.4%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Illinois by 20% and the number of people living in poverty by 191,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 285,000 people above the poverty line in Illinois, including 139,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Idaho averaged 9.8%.
• Idaho’s food insecurity rate was 6% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 8.5%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 6.0%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Idaho by 30% and the number of people living in poverty by 47,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 38,000 people above the poverty line in Idaho, including 20,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Hawaii averaged 9.10%.
• Hawaii’s food insecurity rate was 12.5% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The poverty rate in Hawaii in 2021 (using the Supplemental Poverty Measure) was 10.5%, which was 2.7 percentage points higher than the nation overall (7.8%).
• Hawaii’s poverty rate is high compared to the rest of the nation in large part because of the high cost of housing. Four in 10 low-income people in Hawaii are homeless or pay over half their income for rent.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 69,000 people above the poverty line in Hawaii, including 30,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Georgia averaged 9.90%.
• Georgia’s food insecurity rate was 0.5% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 13.1%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 10.2%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Georgia by 22% and the number of people living in poverty decreased by 302,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 339,000 people above the poverty line in Georgia, including 160,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Florida averaged 9.90%.
• Florida’s food insecurity rate was 5% lower than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 12.5%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 11.9%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Florida by 5% and the number of people living in poverty decreased by 125,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 525,000 people above the poverty line in Florida, including 239,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Delaware averaged 11.2%.
• Delaware’s food insecurity rate was 7% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 9.6%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 8.4%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Delaware by 12.5% and the number of people living in poverty by 11,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 22,000 people above the poverty line in Delaware, including 10,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Connecticut averaged 9.60%.
• Connecticut’s food insecurity rate was 9% lower than the national average of 10.4%.2The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 9.2%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 9.0%, reducing the number of people living in poverty in Connecticut by 6,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 77,000 people above the poverty line in Connecticut, including 31,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Colorado averaged 10.5%.
• Colorado’s food insecurity rate was slightly higher (0.1 percentage point) than the national average of 10.4%.2The poverty rate in Colorado in 2021 (using the Supplemental Poverty Measure) was 9.4%, which was 1.6 percentage points higher than the nation overall (7.8%).
• Colorado’s poverty rate is high compared to the rest of the nation in large part because of the high cost of housing. Four in 10 low-income people in Colorado are homeless or pay over half their income for rent.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 102,000 people above the poverty line in Colorado, including 49,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in California averaged 9.6%.
• California’s food insecurity rate was 8% lower than the national average of 10.4%.2The poverty rate in California in 2021 (using the Supplemental Poverty Measure) was 13.2%, which was 5.4 percentage points higher than the nation overall (7.8%).
• California’s poverty rate is high compared to the rest of the nation in large part because of the high cost of housing. Four in 10 low-income people in California are homeless or pay over half their income for rent.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 833,000 people above the poverty line in California, including 408,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Arkansas averaged 15%.
• That makes Arkansas the 2nd hungriest state with a food insecurity rate 44% higher than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 15.1%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 9.7%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Arkansas by 36% and the number of people living in poverty decreased by 161,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 87,000 people above the poverty line in Arkansas, including 43,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Arizona averaged 10.10%.
• Arizona’s food insecurity rate was slightly lower (0.3 percentage points) than the national average of 10.4%.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 11.2%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 9.0%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Arizona by 20% and the number of people living in poverty by 160,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 204,000 people above the poverty line in Arizona, including 104,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Alaska averaged 9.50%.
•  Alaska’s food insecurity rate was 9% lower than the nation as a whole (10.4%).
•  The official poverty rate (which does not account for income from safety-net and tax-support programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) in the state averaged 11.70%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does include safety-net and tax-support income), the poverty rate falls to 9.8%. In other words, these programs reduced the poverty rate in Alaska by 16% and the number of people living in poverty by 13,000.
• SNAP, alone, lifted 24,000 people above the poverty line in Alaska, including 11,000 children, per year between 2013 and 2017, on average.

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• Food insecurity in Alabama averaged 13.1%.
• That makes Alabama the 7thhungriest state.
• The official poverty rate (which does not account for post-tax programs such as SNAP, EITC, and others) inthe state averaged 14.6%.
• But using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (which does account for post-tax sources of income), the poverty rate falls to 10.3%. In other words, post-tax programs reduced the poverty rate in Alabama by 4.3 percentage points, and the number of people living in poverty decreased by 213,000.

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When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. Hosea 11:1

One of the greatest joys of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany is the feeling and promise of expectations that become realized. Every year we look forward to the divine cycle of remembering and celebrating the anticipated birth and re-birth of Jesus coming into our lives anew. But this promise, foretold for centuries by prophets like Hosea, did not come easily.

The struggles that accompanied Jesus’ arrival were perilous—just as they are today for so many affected by hunger, poverty, and historic inequities. Jesus and his parents found refuge in Egypt on the continent of Africa when the government of King Herold ruled Palestine and sought to take and kill baby Jesus. After Herod died, the Holy Family returned to Nazareth. In so doing the prophecy and season of expectation was fulfilled as recorded in Matthew 2:1-15, “And so it was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’”

For people of African descent, the struggles to find a formal place of refuge and authentic sharing—while systematically addressing their struggles and hopes—have also been going on for an exceptionally long time. After centuries of being divided by colonialism, war, racism and many other inequities, we now have a new global space for multi-lateral engagement with the nations of the world at the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. Through this advisory body, their voices will be heard, and perspectives will be shared.  

This renaissance of renewed Pan African identities and celebration of our diversities will occur without the limitations of nation state perspectives where these voices have been often muted or marginal. Just like the UN Permanent Forum of Indigenous Peoples, the UN Permanent Forum of People of African Descent will provide leadership in civil and UN member spaces when it comes to Pan African issues. It launches this year during the Advent season, December 5-8.

Africa, Jesus’ place of refuge, is also a critical refuge for those who share African roots. The UN can now play a stronger role of engaging with people of African descent alongside the African Union, which welcomes the African Diaspora as the sixth region of the Union. May the vision of people of African lineage—who have been advocating for this moment for so long—find this new consultative mechanism impactful “as a platform for improving the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent.”

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World.

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This is the fourth in a five-part series on transforming assistance to fragile contexts to end hunger.

Although Latin America has less than 10 percent of the global population, almost half of all COVID-19- related deaths have taken place there, and many of the low-income countries hit hardest in the first year of the pandemic are in Latin America.

Latin America soon emerged as an epicenter of the global pandemic despite the fact that COVID-19 cases did not appear in the region until much later than they were apparent in Europe and the United States.

A major reason for this is that the majority of Latin American countries faced myriad political and governance challenges before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Corruption in government and low levels of both mandatory taxation levels and actual tax collection contributed to many problems that fueled the pandemic, particularly inadequate public health systems, very high levels of economic inequality, and poorly resourced public education systems.

In recent years, Venezuela has faced what some consider “the Americas’ greatest single humanitarian crisis.” The nation’s economy and political structure collapsed even though it possesses the world’s largest known petroleum reserves. More than 5 million people have now fled the country and an estimated 91 percent of those who remain live in poverty. Nearly a third of all Venezuelans—more than 9 million people— are food insecure or malnourished. These figures are expected to rise as the coronavirus continues to spread.

The dire pre-pandemic circumstances have exacerbated the death and suffering caused by COVID-19. 80 percent of Venezuela’s hospitals were understaffed and 60 percent were not equipped with basic necessities such as running water and reliable electricity.

For several years now, public protests have swept the country as people denounced the government’s poor policies and other shortcomings that led to an economic collapse and food shortages. In 2018, a disputed presidential election worsened the political situation. The Organization of American States, the European Union, and other international organizations declared that the result was not valid. 

According to a blog post from the U.S. Institute of Peace, the government has used the COVID-19 pandemic to oppress its critics; for example, quarantines that are necessary for public health are being used to “reestablish political and social control,” and the government is charged with concealing the true numbers of COVID-19 victims.

According to the International Crisis Group, Venezuela is now on the brink of a famine. Lines at public food distribution sites stretch for miles, clean water is scarce and medicine even scarcer. The country’s currency has been devalued so many times that it is worth almost to nothing, signaling surging rates of inflation. As early as the end of April 2020, inflation on food items had reached 251 percent. The only “option” for those who cannot find food in stores is to pay up to 10 times more on the black market, an impossibility for most.

In a further threat to food security, fuel shortages are preventing farmers from operating their equipment to plant crops. More than half of the agricultural land that produced crops in 2019 was projected to lie fallow in 2020. Some agricultural sectors are faring even worse—the dairy industry is working at just 12 percent of capacity and one in six sugar mills is currently operational.

Further problems in accessing essential supplies have been created by U.S. sanctions seeking to disrupt trade between Venezuela and Iran. U.S. sanctions on oil tankers traveling from Iran to Venezuela have caused the price of oil to increase by as much as 30 percent—this at a time when the pandemic caused global oil prices to fall to historic lows, and in a country rich in oil reserves.

The Venezuelan government has deployed the army to control rationing at gas stations across the country. Farmers wait hours in line for their insufficient rations of fuel, and those who can afford to buy more at exorbitant black market prices do this as well. The scarcity of fuel has repercussions further down the food supply chain as well—for example, produce often cannot be transported to distribution centers for lack of fuel.

Stay tuned to Institute Insights next month to wrap up this series on fragility with ways to move forward.

Jordan Teague is interim co-director, policy analysis and coalition building, and Rahma Sohail was the 2020 Crook fellow with Bread for the World Institute.

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The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan includes a one-year expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC), making the credit available to all low-income families with children.

Before the expansion, an estimated 27 million children under age 17 lived in families who did not earn enough to qualify for the full CTC for children because they did not have sufficient taxable income. These are families in which food insecurity and hunger are widespread.

Young children are more vulnerable than any other group to the damaging impacts of hunger even for short periods. At the same time, families with young children are more likely to face hunger than those with older children. This is why additional monthly resources are especially important for young children.

All children stand to benefit from CTC expansion, but children from groups that have disproportionately high hunger rates will benefit most. Poverty among Black children will be cut by an estimated 52 percent, among Latino children by 45 percent, among Native American children by 62 percent, among Asian American and Pacific Islander children by 37 percent, and among white children by 39 percent.

A CTC expansion not only contributes to better life prospects for the most vulnerable children in the country but also offers a good return on investment. In a way, the United States cannot afford not to reduce poverty among children, because every year, it costs the economy between $800 million and $1.1 trillion. The costs come in lower productivity, higher healthcare costs, and the need to spend more on public safety, services for homeless people, incarceration, and care for survivors of child abuse.

Major components of the CTC expansion:

• Increases the benefit from $2,000 per year to $3,600 for children up to age 6 and to $3,000 for children 6-17.
• Delivers monthly installments of $300 per month for each younger child and $250 per month for each older child.
• Equally available to all families starting at $0 income through middle-income status.

CTC expansion is a big deal, and we should feel great it was included in the American Rescue Plan. But we aren’t done yet. Now we must work to make the expansion permanent.

Expanding the CTC would do more to reduce hunger and poverty among our nation’s children than single policy in decades

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Another election has come to pass in the United States, and God is still God — saving, loving, and ever present to all people and to all creation. In times of uncertainty and transition, the prophet Jeremiah speaks to us today through these timeless words of Scripture: “For I know the plans I have for you … to give you a future with hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

For 20 days beginning on Nov. 6, Bread for the World members unite in prayer for our country, world, elected officials, and for all God’s beloved children who experience hunger and poverty, intensified by the two pandemics of COVID-19 and racism. A video from Rev. Eugene Cho along with Scripture verses and words for prayerful reflection over these next 20 days will be posted daily in English and Spanish at bread.org/prayer2020 and on Bread’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

Please join in lifting this prayer:

“For I know the plans I have for you … to give you a future with hope”

—Jeremiah 29:11

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By Jordan Teague, senior international policy advisor

There is no silver bullet that will end malnutrition, but this paper presents an agenda of policies and practices that offer a clear way forward when combined with investments in proven, effective nutrition services.

These include, for example, treatment or preventive treatment of children affected by wasting, multiple micronutrient supplementation for pregnant women, adequate breastfeeding/complementary feeding for infants, and Vitamin A supplementation for children.

In order to make significant lasting progress, all stakeholders—including the U.S. government—in all sectors will need to contribute to strategic, cohesive, and coordinated action to:

• Bolster nutrition governance structures and mechanisms
• Align investments with regional and national nutrition strategies, plans, and systems
• Invest in nutrition capacity in health services
• Invest in building both supply and demand for nutritious foods
• Improve equity in policies and practices in order to advance nutrition for people at highest risk
• Strengthen community resilience to protect nutrition gains

While positive gains have been made against malnutrition this century, urgent action is still required to reach good nutrition for all. This agenda of policies and practices, in addition to investment in proven, effective nutrition services—such as treatment or preventive treatment of children
affected by wasting, multiple micronutrient supplementation for pregnant women, adequate breastfeeding/complementary feeding for infants, and Vitamin A supplementation for children—offers a clear way forward. View full report.

“We have a unique opportunity to embrace the scale of the challenge ahead and commit to holistic, systemic changes…”

— Gerda Verburg, Scaling Up Nutrition Movement

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This devotional celebrates the hope, faith, and resilience of Latino communities, while also lamenting the evil of inequitable policies that, to this day, continue to oppress our people leading to hunger and poverty in the United States and south of the U.S.-Mexico border—even further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This devotional, written by and for Christian Latinos/as, seeks to inspire and empower individuals and churches to address the structural causes and negative consequences of hunger and poverty through faith and advocacy.

As we confront an uncertain future, our faith grounds us in God’s love for all people, ourselves, our family, and our community. This bilingual Latino devotional invites you to reflect biblically on the interconnectedness of hunger, malnutrition, and climate change, issues that negatively impact Latino communities in the United States and drive migration abroad.

Our devotional writers challenge us to feel the Spirit of God within us and to hear God’s urgent call to demand justice so all can put food on the table.

With the power and direction of the Holy Spirit, we know we can end hunger and poverty—systemic issues that are central to the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. We are committed to building a movement grounded in spiritual power so that we might be guided to the other side of this health crisis stronger and ready to rebuild our society in line with God’s vision of thriving and flourishing for all people.

To that end, we invite you to use these five devotional entries with your community of faith to reflect, pray, and act. Rooted in Christ, we can actively work against poverty by advocating for public policies that foster racial equity, shared prosperity, and opportunity for all.

Thank you for all you are doing to end hunger and poverty in our time.

Advocacy

Rev. Carlos L. Malavé, executive director
Christian Churches Together in the USA

Christians are bearers of good news and bad news. Our church’s theological tradition tends to sway us into one or the other. Some traditions overemphasize the proclamation of the “new heaven and new earth.” As if that were all of what God is concerned about. Others forget or ignore the promises of the “new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” Since the fall of our original parents (according to) Genesis, God began a process of renewing humanity.

The first coming of Jesus inaugurated the beginning of the end of that process. Notice that this transformation or renewal is an ongoing process. The Spirit of God is actively using the church (and even those who do not identify with the church) to influence human institutions and demand justice due to all of God’s children.

The faith we have received from Jesus and the apostles reveals the principles of God’s reign and his will for humanity. We are a megaphone for God: “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house” (Matthew 5:15). Those who know the heart of God cannot be satisfied with preaching about a future perfect life while people today are hungry, homeless, abused, enslaved, rejected, and killed.

We have been empowered and sent to the world to change the world so that all people can experience “fullness of life.” “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). We are the voice, the arms, and the feet of Christ in the world.

Demanding that our elected officials work for a world that provides the same care for all, equal opportunities and rights, is our responsibility. Advocacy is one powerful tool to proclaim the good news that God is setting the world aright.

Reflection: Do you fear the consequences of speaking up and engaging in advocacy to hold our elected officials accountable on issues related to hunger and poverty?

View full devotional entry

U.S. Hunger

Rev. Jeanette Salguero, senior vice president
National Latino Evangelical Coalition (NaLEC)

As a pastor, I hear all about the sins that beset people like pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, and gluttony. Interestingly, I have never heard anyone confess the sin of partiality.

James 2 talks about this often unknown, forgotten, ignored, or unseen sin. It is the type of partiality that believes that one group is superior or has more value than the other. It is a sinful distinction that denies the image of God in others. Partiality can seep into our lives in subtle ways and manifests itself in the choices we make, who we talk to, pay attention to, or care for.

Partiality exists when people struggling with hunger and malnutrition are ignored. Partiality reigns when people living in poverty are discounted and shunned. Sadly, partiality is seen all over the United States when nearly 37 percent of Latino households with children struggle to put food on the table. Thankfully, James provided the antidote to resisting partiality by reiterating the words of Jesus that we must love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

The church cannot allow itself to be plagued with the same vices as those in James’ day who let their selfish gains and desires outweigh love. When we love people as ourselves, we want for them what we want for ourselves. When we love our neighbor, we desire their flourishing and prosperity.

May we heed James’ words and “show no partiality as we hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (James 2:1).

Reflection: Have we unintentionally said to our brothers and sisters in need, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things they need for the body?

View full devotional entry

global hunger

Brenda Noriega, mission educator
Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers

In Proverbs, we find an exhortation to see, hear, and attend to the cries of those in need: “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9). But, we are also told to attend to their needs quickly: “Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back tomorrow, and I’ll give it to you’—when you already have it with you” (Proverbs 3:28).

In Matthew 14:15-21, Jesus cared for the basic needs of those who followed him as much as he cared for their spiritual needs. The disciples came to Jesus to ask him to let people leave to find something to eat, but Jesus’ surprising response was to “give them something to eat.” He invited his disciples to see the resources that were among them. It is from these resources, five loaves and two fish, that Jesus performed a miracle.

In some regions of Latin America, income inequities are quite significant. Some people do not even have a loaf of bread, while others have abundant food and resources.

The first 1,000 days—from a woman’s pregnancy to her child’s second birthday—are critical for a child’s development. However, too many children in Latin America die before reaching that milestone because they lack a nutritious diet. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating hunger and malnutrition in the region. As disciples, we are called to attend to the cry of people in need. Perhaps our five loaves and two fish are the answer to these children’s prayers.

Reflection: When was the last time you did not know when your next meal would be?

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migration

Rev. Lori Tapia, national pastor for Hispanic Ministries
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

In Matthew 7:24-27, we find Jesus utilizing a comparison of where one builds a house to teach the difference between wisdom and foolishness. Jesus speaks of the wise as those who build their house on rock, while the foolish build upon sand. But this scripture also speaks to the everyday realities of those who find themselves living in a house built upon sand due to no fault of their own and who strive to build a house on rock. One could reflect upon this scripture when thinking of those people who are forced to flee their homeland due to unstable living conditions.

At the root of migration are hunger and extreme poverty, amplified by violence and corruption. For individuals and families who have migrated to the United States, the idea of building a house on rock is much deeper than owning a physical building. Rather, it is about building a home, a safe space, that provides the ost stability and well-being.

It may look different from time to time, and may be shared with other families and friends during different seasons. It looks like a one bedroom apartment with two families working to make ends meet; it looks like the living room of a relative; it looks like the long road between Guatemala and the United States; it may even look like the hot concrete under a tarp at the Mexico-United States border.

The rock foundation is demonstrated in the resilience of parents and individuals who are willing to face the dangers of migration and the risk of rejection by a government blinded by political ideologies. It is demonstrated in their willingness to submit to less-than-humane working conditions and to accept unlivable wages.

Migration is a better option than staying to die in a country torn by war and poverty. But, the conditions that many migrants face are wrong and unjust. The foolishness in this reality represents those who perpetuate the sand-shifting foundation—the broken immigration system and those who exploit it, and the limited and unequal access to resources. There is enough for all: this is the solid rock foundation that brings hope to those who risk their very lives for just one piece. Here, true wisdom lives and builds.

Reflection: Where do you see the sand shifting under those who live in the margins due to their undocumented status?

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climate change

Rev. Dr. Neddy Astudillo, Latin America director and Florida organizer
GreenFaith

From the early scripture passages (Genesis 2:15) to the last (Revelation 11:18), we hear a call and warning to care for God’s creation (Psalm 24:1). When we disrespect this call, the harmonious order under which God created life is threatened, and all creatures suffer the consequences (Jeremiah 14:2-7).

Although the story of Joseph (Genesis 37, 40-41), and the dreams of the Pharaoh of Egypt does not speak of a climate crisis like the one we are facing today, it certainly describes the reality of a region that will face major climate shifts. After seven years of hospitable climate that generates an abundance of food, there will be seven years of climate conditions that will create famine—unless people organize to mitigate its impact.

Like Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams, climate scientists today have interpreted climate data and warn us about coming fluctuations in temperatures, stronger storms, longer droughts, and floods. These are already affecting the planet’s biodiversity and the livelihoods of the most vulnerable human communities.

In Joseph’s story, people are receptive to the unprecedented revelation, and they organize themselves without delay to lessen the impact on everyone—not just the rulers. The passage does not explain to us why these changes in the environment will occur. Facing a situation that the God of the Hebrews cannot avoid, Joseph inspires his people to prepare the way so they—collectively—do not suffer unnecessarily.

The time of famine arrives as announced, but the well-being of all is preserved, thanks to a faithful God, and to the community effort of rulers, workers, religious leaders, peasants, and grain storekeepers. Each one of them, inspired by a common good that includes other people, does their part to avoid a major crisis.

When justice reigns on earth, God’s kindness is latent, even in the midst of crisis.

Reflection: What steps can you take to prepare and organize to change federal policy to better care for God’s creation?

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Additional Resources

Finding Hope, Ending Hunger on Both Sides of the Border: A Bilingual Devotional

Blog: Hispanic Heritage Month invites solidarity and hope

Fact Sheet: Global Hunger in the Time of COVID-19

U.S. Hunger and Poverty State Fact Sheets

Ending U.S. Hunger by Focusing on Communities Most Affected

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This story is part of the July 2020 issue of Institute Insights

At Bread for the World, we continue to advocate for lasting solutions to hunger and food insecurity, including jobs that pay enough to support a family. Of course, Bread is also calling for prompt and sufficient assistance for families struggling to meet their essential needs, whose numbers have exploded in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of structural racism, both parents who are low-wage workers and those who have lost their jobs are disproportionately people of color, particularly Black women. Black children are at far higher risk of living in food-insecure families than white children.

The economic and health inequities that Black families continue to suffer are compounded by institutionalized forms of direct violence, including police brutality and mass incarceration. The injustices seem so intractable that I wonder whether I am impossibly naïve to think that there could be meaningful change. Naïve or not, I have been on the lookout for genuine signs of hope, partly in the knowledge that becoming too discouraged to be an effective advocate won’t help anyone.

Perhaps one hopeful sign is the greater inclusiveness of the more recent public protests and national conversations about racism, particularly anti-Black racism, and what will be needed to end it.

This may reflect a more holistic understanding of the problem. For example, along with #sayhisname, activists are promoting the hashtag #sayhername to draw attention to the fact that, as social justice scholar Monique W. Morris put it, “Protests are often in the name of men and boys, and we forget that so many girls and young women …  are disproportionately impacted by the same state-sanctioned violence.”

People who are transgender are often marginalized within both the LGBTQ community and the Black community. That is why the Black Trans Lives Matter rally, held June 14 in New York and attracting at least 15,000 participants, was such a departure from the past. The demonstration was a first both because it was so large and because of the participation of many people who are neither LGBTQ nor Black. Systemic racism certainly plays a role in the fact that a disproportionate number of anti-LGBTQ hate crimes, particularly murder, are against transgender women of color, particularly Black women.

The Black Lives Matter movement and its allies are also identifying more specifically what racism may look like among different groups of people. For example, the racist and sexist idea that any type of violence against Black men can be justified by “defending the honor of white women” has led to white women, sometimes deliberately and sometimes through willful ignorance, playing the role of “damsel in distress.” Internalized racism in Black communities can carry real consequences as well—for example, the potential for Black police officers to feel that using violence will “prove” that they are different from the “criminals” who are also Black.

In a thoughtful piece entitled “Why Be a Model Minority When You Could Dismantle White Supremacy?” Dae Shik Kim Jr., whose heritage is both Korean and Black, looked at some of the many factors that may make it difficult for Asian Americans to overcome anti-Black racism. These range from the ideal in some Asian cultures that individuals should not speak out in disagreement with the larger group, to the fact that Asian immigrants may believe the popular American adage that anyone can succeed if they work hard. This may be, in part, because they have heard little about the historical, political, and other barriers that make it difficult for Black Americans to move forward. After all, these things are far less often mentioned than the American Dream version of U.S. history.

Michele Learner is managing editor with Bread for the World Institute.

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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the first line of defense against hunger for people in the United States.

SNAP benefits help low-income people put food on the table. Participants include seniors, children, people living with disabilities, and low-wage workers and their families. Nearly half of the people who receive SNAP are children.

A very important feature of SNAP is that it is designed to respond to changes in need, making it very well suited to respond to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal government can also augment SNAP as needed with programs such as Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) and Pandemic SNAP (P-SNAP). D-SNAP is historically allocated in response to natural disasters, while P-SNAP would help with the devastating long-term consequences of COVID-19.

The Family First Coronavirus Relief Act includes “response waivers,” exceptions to SNAP rules during the pandemic and post-pandemic period. For example, the legislation allows:

• SNAP flexibility for low-income jobless workers: It suspends work and work training requirements for SNAP during this crisis.
• SNAP flexibilities in a public health emergency: It allows states to request special waivers from the Secretary of Agriculture to provide temporary, emergency Coronavirus SNAP (CR-SNAP) benefits to existing SNAP households up to the maximum monthly allotment, and it gives the Secretary broad discretion to provide much more flexibility for states in managing SNAP caseloads.

Over and above these necessary steps, Bread for the World calls for the following to support the most vulnerable people.

• Increase the maximum monthly SNAP benefit by 15 percent
• Temporarily increase the minimum SNAP benefit from $16 to $30 to encourage higher rates of senior participation
• Give states temporary flexibility to suspend SNAP administrative rules that weaken their response to the crisis

The COVID-19 economic recovery package must build on the Family First Coronavirus Relief Act and include the 15 percent boost in benefits to ensure families have access to adequate resources during the pandemic.

Nearly half of the people who receive SNAP are children

The post Fact Sheet: Coronavirus (COVID-19) and SNAP appeared first on Bread for the World.

A one-page fact sheet for hunger in the United States, and for each state plus Washington, D.C. Each fact sheet provides these indicators of hunger and poverty: the proportion of households in the state that struggle to put food on the table, the number of people living in counties with poverty rates of 20 percent, the number of veterans living below the poverty line, and more.

Ending Hunger by 2030

The United States has made significant progress against hunger and poverty over the past 50 years. But too many people are being left behind. Ending hunger and poor nutrition in the U.S. calls for comprehensive strategies that promote racial, gender, and class equity and take into account differences in personal, family, and community circumstances. Even more important, it requires the political will to turn these ideas into legislation. The United States should:

• Create jobs that pay
  Millions of workers are paid so little that they cannot feed their families. The best, most lasting way to end hunger is to ensure that people have access to jobs that pay enough to support their families. The United States can move in the right direction by making essential improvements through legislation and policies.
• Invest in people
  To be successful, people must have access to the tools they need. Government plays an important role in ensuring that everyone has their basic needs met and benefits from equitable opportunities. Targeted investments should be made in communities with the highest hunger rates.
• Strengthen the safety net
  Most people need some help at some point in their lives and everyone should have access to help in hard times. The United States should strengthen national nutrition programs such as school meals, summer meals, SNAP, and WIC. Essential social programs should be a consistent national priority and they should be provided in an equitable manner.
• Remove obstacles to earning a decent living
  Discriminatory practices should be ended and the playing field should be leveled for communities at higher risk of hunger by providing targeted support. These include people of color, women, and children, particularly women and children of color. Laws against racial, gender, and other forms of discrimination should be enforced, and a racial, gender, and class equity lens should be applied to all nutrition, anti-hunger, and anti-poverty programs and policies

Hunger and Poverty Facts by State

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We are bombarded by bad news—war, violent weather, violent policies:

“O Lord, how long shall the wicked exult? They pour out their arrogant words…They crush your people, O Lord…”  (Psalm 94)

But we have reasons for hope and persistence. The world’s unprecedented progress in recent decades—shown on the right side of the graphic below—is a powerful reason for hope. At Bread for the World, we have come to see this progress as a contemporary experience of our saving God—a great exodus from hunger.

The left side of the graphic shows that we have made progress in our country, too. Nearly all this progress was made in the late 1960s and early 1970s when the nation set up programs like Medicaid and SNAP for low-income people. We learned from that experience that we can reduce hunger and poverty in our country too, and we have maintained and improved those programs over the years.

Bread for the World and its members have played a significant role in the advances shown in this graphic.

Over the last few decades, Bread for the World has been an important voice as U.S. international aid has quadrupled in scale and steadily improved in effectiveness. President Trump has pushed for deep cuts in international aid, but—thanks in part to our advocacy—Congress has continued to increase aid. In fact, the average annual appropriation for international aid during the Trump administration has been higher than in the last year of Obama’s presidency.

Starting in 2011, powerful political forces have pushed for massive cuts in programs that help low-income families in this country. Budget after budget proposed to cut about $2 trillion from these programs. That’s what the government shutdowns and the fiscal cliff were about.

Bread for the World has been a leader of the faith community’s response to the budget debate. Remarkably, Congress has, in the end, made virtually no cuts in poverty-focused programs. At the end of 2019, Congress finally approved some much-needed increases in low-income programs.

Despite all the bad things happening now, progress against hunger and poverty continues.  Although the number of people who cope with calorie-deficient diets has gradually increased over the last five years, most of the international indicators of human welfare (including the number of stunted children in the world) are still moving in the right direction. In our country, the Great Recession was a huge setback, but hunger and poverty are now inching downward again.

Decades of progress, the clear impact of advocacy, and continued progress—these are reasons for hope and persistence.

More fundamentally, God is our source of hope. We draw hope from the abundance and resilience of creation, the biblical pattern of moral failure and divine rescue, and the worldwide explosion of faith in a gracious God that began in the resurrection of Jesus.

Psalm 94 promises that “the Lord will not forsake his people.”  And Jesus taught his disciples “to pray always and not give up” (Luke 18:1). 

David Beckmann is the president of Bread for the World.

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Conflict is a main driver of the recent increase in hunger around the world and of forced migration. Hunger also contributes to conflict.

With the effects of climate change, fragile institutions, poor governance, and further complications such as sectarianism, conflict is a major barrier to Bread for the World’s vision of a world without hunger.

The challenges we see today are not new to people of faith. Vulnerable communities are part of the sacred stories highlighted in scripture. Famine and vulnerability of women (Ruth 1-4), political instability (1 & 2 Kings), ethnic oppression (Exodus 1:8-16), and religious persecution (Acts 8) have affected people throughout the ages.

Our God upholds the just cause of the poor (Psalm 140:12). To end hunger around the world, we must advocate for U.S. government policies that put us on a path toward this goal and do not contribute to conditions that increase hunger.

This resource outlines guiding principles for policies that can address conflict, fragility, and hunger.

“Conflict is a main driver of hunger … hunger also contributes to conflict”

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By Lacey Johnson

Seventy-five Pan African women of faith gathered in Washington, D.C., in November to advocate for global nutrition on Capitol Hill and empower one another to “re-right” the narrative of Pan-African people around the world.

The three-day summit, themed “African at Heart,” also observed the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved African peoples to Jamestown, Virginia.

“It was timely to bring Pan African Women of Faith together to advocate for global nutrition and to remember the transatlantic slave trade in 1619 during out spiritual pilgrimage,” said Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith, senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church Engagement at Bread for the World.

She added: “They are disproportionately affected by global nutrition concerns and related intersectional issues linked to historic root causes. They are the children or kindred of the ancestors of the transatlantic slave trade in some way.”

The gathering kicked off with a spiritual pilgrimage beginning at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, followed by a visit to the home of Fredrick Douglass, who escaped slavery in 1838 to become a national leader of the abolitionist movement. The trip closed with prayers at the foot of the Martin Luther King Jr. monument.

“The pilgrimage was an eye-opener. It was really revealing and inspiring for me,” said Princess Sekyere, who founded a nonprofit that works to empower women and girls in her home country of Ghana. “I’m so excited to be in D.C. This city is very symbolic of the American story.”

Sekyere was among the numerous women who traveled internationally to be at the summit, which welcomed attendees from Angola, Congo, Brazil, Bahamas, Nigeria, Ghana, and cities all over the United States.

Paying homage to Pan-African women changemakers

The first day of the summit concluded with dinner, prayers, and presentations at Ebenezer United Methodist Church—an historic Washington landmark that has hosted African American icons like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and W.E.B. Du Bois. The evening included a presentation paying homage to Pan African women changemakers from around the world, as well as prayers honoring ancestors that came before.

“Africans should take pride in their heritage and take charge of their lives,” said Ann Kioi, the programmes development and fundraising officer at All Africa Conference of Churches in Kenya, speaking from the pulpit. “This is what makes me feel that I am an African at heart. I share the same destiny, and I celebrate my diversity as an African.”

The summit was hosted by the Pan African Women of Faith of Bread for the World, Pan African Women’s Ecumenical Empowerment Network (PAWEEN) of the World Council of Churches, and the African Union in partnership with the All Africa Conference of Churches.

Women broke into groups to visit the offices of nearly a dozen House and Senate members on the second day of the summit. They urged lawmakers to support H.Res.189 and S.Res.260, which recognize the importance of continued United States leadership to accelerate global progress against maternal and child malnutrition.

They also chose to wear black as part of a “Thursdays in Black” campaign launched by the World Council of Churches to draw attention to the problem of gender-based violence.

“This issue is so important,” said Tiauna Webb, a first-time summit attendee from Chicago. “Not only are we trying to push for equitable treatment of women around the world, but we’re also embodying it here.”

A reception that evening featured a powerful speech by Rep. Jahanna Hayes (D-CT), as well as a surprise visit from Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC).

“At the point where I couldn’t stand on my own, I relied on WIC. I relied on food stamps. I relied on lunch for my kids,” said Hayes, who, in January, became the first African American woman from Connecticut to serve in Congress. “And I know, as a Christian, that now I have a responsibility to do the same thing for somebody else.”

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'Wanting a better world'

On the last day of the summit, attendees gathered at Bread’s headquarters for a special visit with Ertharin Cousin, a former United Nations ambassador who served as executive director of the World Food Programme from 2012 to 2017.

Cousin urged the women to use their collective voices to ensure people have access to nutritious food, whether it is in Sub-Saharan Africa or South Carolina.

“Embracing your theme, African at Heart, demands a shared vision of what is possible on both sides of the pond,” she said. “There is nothing shameful, unrealistic, or naïve about wanting a better world.”

Before departing, the women broke into groups to exchange ideas and formulate plans of action going forward. A range of recommendations inclusive of a faith-based advocacy agenda related to ending hunger and poverty emerged.

“We are one, no matter our differences,” said Kari Cooke, a deaf summit attendee and longtime advocate for disability rights. “Just sharing that with black women all over the world is very powerful and reminds us that we are not alone, and we will never be alone. We will continue to do this work.”

Lacey Johnson is a freelance writer and photographer in Washington, D.C.

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Seventy-five Pan African women of faith gathered in Washington, D.C. to advocate for global nutrition and empower one another to “re-right” the narrative of Pan-African people. The three-day summit, themed “African at Heart,” also observed the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved African peoples to Jamestown, Virginia. Photo: Howard Wilson for Bread for the World.

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“I join Rev. Barber’s call for Democratic and Republican party leaders to each host a presidential debate focused on poverty. Candidates must speak directly to the reality of poverty in our nation and the world. The scriptures clearly state the plight of people living in hunger and poverty should be a priority concern for national leaders. And I applaud Rev. Barber’s plea for the presidential candidates to say the word ‘poverty.’

“Again, this presidential election cycle, I am joining with scores of diverse Christian leaders from the Circle of Protection in asking each presidential candidate – Democrats and Republicans – to produce short video statements outlining their plans to offer help and opportunity for people experiencing hunger and poverty in the U.S. and around the world. We will make the videos available so that the American people have the opportunity to compare and contrast each candidate’s plan.

“Ending hunger and poverty should be a part of the national debate, and I hope these efforts will help make this happen.”

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Younger generations have the most to lose if today’s leaders in government do not act more assertively to slow climate change.

This is the basis for an inspired climate advocacy campaign that is currently in progress, centered on a lawsuit filed against the U.S. government in federal court. The plaintiffs, 21 children and young people ranging in age from 10 to 22, allege that the government has knowingly violated their rights by failing to respond to climate change more forcefully and effectively.

Bill McKibben, pioneering climate activist and founder of the international environmental organization 350.org, describes the plaintiffs’ day in court as “the most important lawsuit on the planet right now.”

The case began on October 29, 2018, in the U.S. District Court in Eugene, Oregon. The plaintiffs want the federal government to implement a national Climate Recovery Plan consistent with the best available scientific analysis. The plan would prioritize reducing greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2). Bill McKibben’s organization is named after the number considered the maximum safe level of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere, 350 parts per million. The level today is 408 parts per million.

Nobel Laureate and economist Joseph Stiglitz will appear as an expert witness. He has been providing pro bono analytical support, which includes a 50-page expert’s report that argues that the U.S. government, through “insufficient action on climate change, [is] imposing and will continue to impose enormous costs on youth plaintiffs.”

The United Church of Christ (UCC) Council for Climate Justice is calling on the faith community to publicly support the children and youth who are bringing the case to court. Kiran Oommen, one of the plaintiffs, is the son of ordained UCC minister Melanie Oommen, and UCC was the first denomination to call for financial divestment from fossil fuels.  In addition to providing financial support for the legal team, the UCC is encouraging young leaders to show their solidarity with the 21 children and youth by delivering sermons on climate justice.

Our Children’s Trust, an environmental organization, is providing legal support to the plaintiffs. It has been supporting cases brought by youth in state courts since 2011 and describes its mission as “elevat[ing] the voice of youth—to secure the legal right to a healthy atmosphere and stable climate on behalf of all present and future generations.”

The federal lawsuit, Juliana v. United States, was filed in 2015, but the federal government has fought at every stage to block the case from coming to trial, and it continues to petition for it to be dismissed. The case has drawn national media attention, which has given several of the plaintiffs a platform to speak out. “You don’t have to call yourself an activist to act,” said lead plaintiff Kelsey Juliana in an interview with Bill Moyers on Moyers & Company. “I think that’s so important that people my age really get [that] into their heads. As a younger person, I have everything to gain from taking action and everything to lose from not … It’s important that youth are the ones who are standing up because of the fact that we do have so much to lose.”

Julia Olson, chief legal counsel for the plaintiffs, believes that whatever decision is reached by the District Court is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court. The U.S. government is virtually certain to file an appeal if it loses the case or key elements of it. You can follow the latest news about the case at Our Children’s Trust.

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In April 2014, much of the world was appalled by the kidnapping of 276 girls from a secondary school in the town of Chibok in northern Nigeria. The region is a stronghold of the terror group Boko Haram. They were not the first girls abducted for daring to defy Boko Haram’s prohibition of female education, and sadly, they have not been the last.

Nearly five years later, more than 100 girls from the Chibok school remain missing. Some of those who escaped or were freed sought help from Dr. Rebecca Dali, who runs the Center for Caring, Empowering and Peace Initiatives (CCEPI). Some of the girls have been rejected by their families and communities because they are rape survivors who have given birth to children whose fathers are terrorists.

Dali founded CCEPI in 1989 to help Nigerian women, children, and orphans. Dali and her colleagues at CCEPI not only offer treatment for the traumas the Chibok girls have endured, but also enable them to learn skills and offer them tools to improve their ability to earn a living.

Dali offers herself as an example to the girls of what they are capable of doing. “I have walked the same path that you are going through,” she tells them. “My history is terrible, but I did not lose hope, so I don’t want you to lose hope.” Dali was raped when she was 6 years old. When she turned 8, her father told her that she must get married to help support the family. She wanted to stay in school, so she ran away. Dali ultimately earned a Ph.D. and has written books documenting what happened to people whom CCEPI has cared for over the decades.

In 2017, Dali was awarded the Sergio Vieira de Mello Award, named for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights who was killed in Iraq in 2003. “Dr. Dali’s access into the local community and academic research have been invaluable to the advocacy community in the U.S. as we amplify the voices of those affected by violence in northeast Nigeria,” says Nathan Hosler, director of the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy for the Church of the Brethren in the United States.

Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) is the church’s largest national body. Samuel Dali, Dr. Dali’s husband, served for many years as president of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, and most of the kidnapped Chibok girls are members. In addition to support from the church, CCEPI receives support from other donors, including USAID, the European Union, the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the International Rescue Committee.

Dali has had many encounters with Boko Haram and has paid a terrible price for treating its victims. In 2014, the group kidnapped her son. He has not been heard from since, and she presumes that he is dead. Despite the dangers, Dali and CCEPI remain committed to their ministry. As she told an interviewer, “If my organization is not there, who will go?”

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“The Bible is clear, ‘the laborer deserves to be paid’ (1 Timothy 5:18),” said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. “Raising the minimum wage is critical to ending hunger and poverty in the United States.”

The Raise the Wage Act would raise the federal minimum wage this year and increase it annually until it reaches $15 an hour in 2025. Thereafter, the minimum wage would be adjusted each year to keep pace with inflation. If passed, the bill would phase out the tipped minimum wage and sunset the ability of employers to pay workers with disabilities a subminimum wage. Tipped workers experience higher levels of poverty than other workers. 

“Poverty and food insecurity in America are driven in part by low wages,” Beckmann said. “If the Raise the Wage Act were enacted almost 1.2 million households would be lifted out of food insecurity.”

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The Raise the Wage Act (S.150/H.R.582) was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and in the House of Representatives by Reps. Bobby Scott (D-Va.-03), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.-02), and Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.-07).

The bill would raise the federal minimum wage to $8.55 in 2019 and increase it over the next five years until it reaches $15 an hour in 2024.

After 2024, the minimum wage would adjust each year to keep pace with inflation. If passed, the bill would phase out the tipped minimum wage and sunset the ability of employers to pay workers with disabilities a subminimum wage. The bill would also phase out the subminimum wage for workers under the age of 20.

Background

In the United States, the preferred way of ending hunger is by ensuring that everyone who wants a job can get one and that it pays a sufficient wage. The bare minimum that defines a “decent” job is a living wage, which should provide families with the means to put food on the table. For those who are raising children, a decent job should allow them to balance their responsibilities as an employee and parent.

The work people do is a source of dignity in their lives, or at least that is how it should be. It is dehumanizing when wages are not sufficient to provide for basic living costs. Millions of working families have little left after paying for housing and transportation, health care, and child care. Food is the most flexible item in a household budget, which is why hunger is usually episodic.

We cannot end hunger in the United States without raising the minimum wage. We urge all members of Congress to co-sponsor the Raise the Wage Act of 2019.

“The laborer deserves to be paid”

— 1 Timothy 5:18

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Gyude Moore was Liberia’s Minister of Public Works from 2015 to 2018, during the presidency of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. A decade earlier, he was an organizer with Bread for the World. A decade before that, he was an adolescent living in a refugee camp in Sierra Leone, one of the millions of Liberians forced to flee the country during a period of nearly 15 years that included two civil wars. Liberia reached a peace agreement in 2003.

Currently Moore is a visiting fellow at the Center for Global Development, where Hunger Report Senior Editor Todd Post met with him to talk about advocacy and foreign aid. As Minister of Public Works, his focus was entirely on infrastructure, he said, and since leaving the government, he finds it hard to let the subject go.

He told a story about being on a rural road in Liberia and coming to one of the many bridges that had been destroyed during the war years. “When we got to a bridge, we had to arrange planks to get the car across. Everyone got out except the driver, and we walked across after he safely piloted the vehicle over the planks.” It was a hair-raising experience. The Liberian countryside is littered with abandoned vehicles, half submerged under bridges, whose drivers had attempted similar crossings.

As they were negotiating the crossing, a motorcycle driver drove across as well. His passenger was a pregnant woman on her way to the health clinic. Liberia has one of the world’s highest rates of maternal mortality. Moore pointed out that many women don’t seek medical care because so many roads and bridges are badly damaged or simply impassable. Particularly where bridges have been destroyed, a clinic that might have been a two-hour journey in the prewar period could now take an entire day.

The woman on the motorcycle, a smallholder farmer, told Moore that the condition of the bridge was the reason she didn’t sell her products at a larger market where she could earn more. In another part of the country, where Moore oversaw a road improvement project, farmers did gain access to new markets, and as a result, their sales increased.

Infrastructure creates opportunities that people in poverty are eager to seize. Liberia is one of many African countries with a large youth population in search of work. Moore said that how successful the country is in repairing and developing its infrastructure will, to a large extent, determine how successful it is in unlocking the economic potential of its youth.

A crucial part of a country’s infrastructure is electricity. When President Johnson Sirleaf was sworn in, the country’s only source of electric power was diesel generators. Moore said that on game days, the average football stadium in the United States consumed more energy than was being produced in all of Liberia. Liberia signed a contract with the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) aimed at rebuilding its power infrastructure. MCC offers multi-year grants to countries that meet governance criteria such as combating corruption and investing in health and education. More than half of MCC’s financial support is used for infrastructure development. In Liberia’s equivalent of the State of the Union, Johnson Sirleaf explained to the public how her administration was tackling corruption and working to meet other MCC criteria. Moore noted that Bread was advocating for the creation and full funding of the MCC when he served as an organizer in 2003-2004.

Lately, Moore has been thinking about another infrastructure challenge that Liberia faces along with other low-income countries: weather forecasting. The World Bank is funding a project in sub-Saharan Africa to create a large, comprehensive network that could provide timely local weather forecasts. This is particularly important for countries and regions that are enduring the increasingly severe impact of climate change. Weather alerts would warn shepherds to move to higher ground. A storm that washes away fertilizer could be the difference between a farmer’s profitability and hunger, so it would be extremely helpful to know when to delay putting down fertilize for a day or two. People about to take their boats out to fish early on a sunny morning would know about a strong afternoon thunderstorm and return to shore in time.

When Moore reflects on the critical role of U.S. foreign aid in his country, he notes that the United States is the largest donor to the World Bank, and he praises Bread for the World and other civil society groups for making U.S. citizens aware of the progress against hunger and poverty that U.S. development assistance helps make possible in Liberia and in other developing countries.

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Julie Brewer has worked as a nutrition specialist implementing the WIC program in Montana; as head of the Montana Hunger Coalition; as a government relations analyst at Bread for the World, where she advocated for improvements in nutrition program policies; at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); and, most recently, at the Office of Management and Budget, designing and administering federal nutrition policies.

Brewer knew before she went to college at the University of Montana that nutrition was her calling. A project for a high school home economics class catalyzed her interest. So, did growing up in a single-parent household, where the struggle to make ends meet meant that school lunch often depended on the generosity of classmates.

She studied nutrition in college and began to work for WIC after graduation. She found that it could be difficult to reconcile her work in providing expectant and new mothers with information about healthy foods and how to prepare them with the realities of their lives. It was common to hear, “This nutrition stuff is great, but we don’t have any food at home.”

WIC is designed only to supplement the diets of mothers and young children, not to provide all the food they need. When Brewer started her job, the list of foods that were eligible for WIC did not include fruits and vegetables, and their cost was prohibitive for families in deep poverty. WIC participants realized that fruits and vegetables are healthier, but they needed to buy cheap foods—such as ramen noodles or macaroni and cheese—that could be stretched and would at least keep children from feeling the pangs of hunger. They had to make the best of their very limited resources.

Getting to know women who participated in WIC was a transformative experience for Brewer. While she’d known hungry times as a child, it struck her that her clients and their children were enduring far worse. Her time with WIC Montana broadened her understanding of the types of reforms that would improve federal nutrition programs—and led her to advocacy.

While still working in Montana, Brewer attended a conference in Washington, D.C., where she was able to talk to members of the Montana congressional delegation about the importance of WIC. After she and her family moved to the East Coast in 2001, she joined Bread for the World’s Washington office, advocating for strong nutrition programs as well as for policies that would help solve the root causes of hunger in the United States.

In 2006, Brewer took a job in the Child Nutrition Division of USDA, administering school meal programs and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). The limitations of the SFSP were clear: only one in seven children who receive free or reduced-price school lunches also receives summer meals. Efforts to expand the number of sites around the country and reach more children have met with little success.

Seeing this, Brewer played a pivotal role in advocating for a change that could potentially make dramatic improvements in the well-being of food-insecure children in the summer months. She and her colleagues in the Child Nutrition Division advocated providing additional SNAP benefits to low-income families during the summer months so that they could afford to feed children the meals they usually received at school. In 2010, Congress agreed to fund a pilot program in 10 states and Indian Tribal Organizations, involving more than 100,000 households. The pilot SNAP expansion reduced child hunger in participating households by one-third.

Reflecting on the success of the pilots, Brewer explained, “Unfortunately, we can waste a lot of time trying to make people adapt to how we design programs, without reflecting the realities in their lives. I see my job as making sure policy reflects reality.”

Brewer was directly involved in the administration of the pilots. As she explained, what seemed like a simple, common-sense solution turned out to involve several thorny administrative issues. She and her colleagues worked patiently to resolve these problems, contributing to the success of the pilot program and, most importantly, to fewer hungry children.

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May 25 is an annual holiday recognizing the leadership of African peoples wherever they may be live.

Led by the African Union (AU) which recognizes the diversity of Africans and African nation-states, Africans including Africans in diaspora who may be citizens or residents in countries outside the African continent, join in this celebration.

The following are some of the primary tenets of Africa Day:

• Common African Unity and Identity
• The Developments of the African Union and the Agenda 2063 (defined below)
• Women’s Empowerment in the African Union
• Continent-wide Disease Control and Prevention
• Africa Day as a Public Holiday
• Africa Day Celebration

This year the AU theme is “Healthy Lifestyle Prolongs Life.” The tenets of Africa Day and this theme complement the mission of Bread for the World to end hunger and address poverty. The AU Agenda 2063 is a strategic roadmap aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the legislative agenda of Bread for the World, especially on matters related to global nutrition and immigration. Bread for the World is committed to partnering with African peoples everywhere to create and execute equitable strategies for rooting out hunger and poverty, as well as the historic and present scourge of systems and attitudes that fail to advance progress for all to be fed and live lives of dignity.

The AU Agenda 2063, along with the following facts and advances on the African continent, are critical to ensuring the success of our equitable partnership:

• The Christian Church has been continuously present on the African continent since the days of Christ and one out of four Christians in the world is an African. The Pew Research Center estimates this number will grow to 40 percent by 2030.
• The Continental Free Trade Area Agreement is an agreement among 52 out of 55 states to promote free trade throughout the continent of Africa.  This trade agreement is the largest since the formation of the World Trade Organization in 1995.
• Africa has six of the world’s 10 fastest growing economies this year, according to the World Bank.
• Africa’s 1.2 billion population is expected to double in 2050 and comprise 60-70 percent youth.
• Africa has made great progress in the fight against malnutrition. Between 2000 and 2016 Senegal, Ghana, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Togo, Cameroon and Angola reduced malnutrition, child wasting, child stunting and child mortality by 42-56 percent.
• 40 African countries are Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) members.
• Country-led plans, strategies and policies in place – mostly multisectoral and led by Heads of State or Heads of Government.

Join us in celebrating the faith and resilience of African peoples wherever they are and our common vision of ending hunger for all.

Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church Engagement at Bread for the World.

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Before the hurricanes, 1.5 million Puerto Ricans were food insecure. The child food insecurity rate was 56 percent — nearly triple the average for the rest of the United States.

Hurricane Maria was a Category 4 hurricane that caused extensive destruction. Some reports show that 80 percent of the island’s overhead power lines have been damaged in the storm and it could take months to restore them. As of October 10, 2017, the Federal Emergency Management Agency estimated that only 15 percent of the island’s electricity had been restored — leaving 85 percent of the island without electricity.

Families have no way of earning money for their basic needs such as food, water, and shelter—let alone the additional re-sources needed to rebuild their homes, farms, and businesses. We believe that most, if not all, families are currently food insecure, regardless of income.

Before the hurricanes, Puerto Ricans were four times as likely to be food insecure as the average American.

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If enacted, this legislation would raise the federal minimum wage this year and increase it annually until it reaches $15 an hour in 2024. Thereafter, the minimum wage will be adjusted each year to keep pace with inflation. This would lift wages for 41 million American workers and significantly decrease poverty and hunger in the United States.

At Bread for the World, we believe that the preferred way to end hunger is to ensure that everyone who wants a job can get one and that it pays a living wage. Wages have been stagnant for decades – meaning that workers are earning less, inequality is rising, and families can’t make ends meet.

The “Raise the Wage Act” would, for the first time ever, bring full-time minimum-wage earnings above the poverty line for a family of four. The Bible is clear, ‘The laborer deserves to be paid’ (1 Timothy 5:18).

We urge Republicans and Democrats in Congress to co-sponsor and pass this bill.

“The laborer deserves to be paid”

1 Timothy 5:18

The post Bread for the World Statement on the Introduction of the “Raise the Wage Act of 2019” appeared first on Bread for the World.

More than 5.5 million Indigenous people live in the United States from more than 560 Indian Nations. Many are part of federally or state recognized tribes.

They include Native Americans and Alaskan Natives. Indigenous communities live in pueblos, tribes, and communities, in rural reservations as well as cities, across 33 states, including Alaska.

Indigenous communities have some of the highest hunger rates in the United States. As a group, one in four Native Americans and Alaskan Natives are food insecure, defined as not having regular, reliable access to the foods needed for good health. 

Hunger among Indigenous communities is a direct result of poverty and of systemic inequities through racial and gender discrimination. While the United States has a poverty rate of 12.3 percent, Indigenous communities have a higher poverty rate–25.4 percent. The poverty rates are even higher among female-headed households (54 percent) and on some reservations (almost 40 percent).

Inequities that contribute to hunger and poverty in indigenous communities include:

• Unemployment and low wages
• Less access to education
• Poor health and limited access to health care
• Less access to credit
• Higher incarceration rates
• Impact of U.S. federal policies and Indian Nations sovereignty

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In 2017, 11.8 percent of households in the U.S.—40 million people—were food-insecure, meaning that they were unsure at some point during the year about how they would provide for their next meal. While the number of food insecure households is still too high, it has been declining since the post-recession high of 14.9 percent in 2011.

Unfortunately, the overall food insecurity rate has not recovered to pre-recession levels. In 2007, 11.1 percent of U.S. households experienced food insecurity, compared to 11.8 percent in 2017. At the rate of decrease we saw this year, the United States would not end hunger until 2040.

All the nations of the world have agreed on development goals for 2030, including the goal of ending hunger. To end hunger by 2030, our country needs to see the same decreases it saw from 2014 to 2015, when the rate of food insecurity declined at a statistically significant rate of 1.3 percent. Ending hunger by 2030 will require strong political commitment and a comprehensive approach to address hunger’s root causes and accelerate progress.

Fact: More than 1 in 6 children in the United States live at risk of hunger

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“This is disappointing news. The conventional wisdom would say that economic growth should reduce the number of people in poverty,” said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. “Sadly, that is not happening now. While people at the top are making more, the incomes of the poorest Americans remain flat or are falling as is the case in African American communities.” 

Last week, the U.S.  Department of Agriculture released its annual report on food security in the United States. It showed that 40 million people struggled with hunger in 2017. While the numbers are down from the prior year, hunger is still more widespread than it was in 2007 before the recession. Millions of Americans still struggle to put food on the table.

“The poverty and hunger numbers both show that the current economic recovery is not doing much for those who suffer most. Unemployment has declined, but too many people are working low wage jobs,” Beckmann said. 

Poverty impacts all communities. But the data continues to show that African Americans, Latinos, and Indigenous communities experience disproportionately higher rates of poverty and hunger, as do female-headed families. Children also suffer from high rates of poverty and hunger.

Safety-net programs moderate poverty and hunger. Yet, the Trump administration and many members of Congress are seeking cuts to these programs.

“Proposals to make deep cuts to and add more work requirements to programs, such as SNAP, will not help people find better jobs. Instead, these proposals will push millions of families deeper into hunger and poverty,” Beckmann said. “If lawmakers want people to pull themselves out of poverty and hunger, Congress should focus on policies that improve job opportunities and address existing inequities for low-income communities, especially African American and Latino communities.”   

Bread for the World Institute’s 2018 Hunger Report, The Jobs Challenge: Working to End Hunger by 2030, offers Congress a menu of policies that would improve job opportunities for low-income workers. 

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The military community includes both people on active duty (more than 1.3 million) and veterans (20 million). There are also 800,000 reserve forces. The five branches of the U.S. military are the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. U.S. military personnel come from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

About 23,000 active duty personnel received benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, previously food stamps) in 2013, the latest year for which statistics are available. This is a lower percentage than hunger rates for the average U.S. household (2 percent versus 12.3 percent). However, no one helping to defend our country should struggle to put food on the table.

Similarly, veterans experience hunger at just over half the national rate (7 percent v. 12.3 percent). Nearly 1.4 million veterans face food insecurity. Veterans are at higher risk of food insecurity if any of the following apply to them: they are younger, they left the military at a lower pay grade than is typical, they earn less at their post-military jobs, they are unmarried, or they live in households with more children than the typical veteran.

More than 1.25 million veterans live below the poverty line. Young veterans, veterans of color, and female veterans are the most vulnerable. 10 percent of young veterans are poor. Veterans of color are twice as likely to live in poverty as the overall veteran population (14 percent compared to 7 percent). 

Female veterans are much more likely to be poor than male veterans (10.3 percent compared to 6.5 percent). Veterans who fit into two or more of these groups are even more likely to live below the poverty line. For instance, young female veterans have a higher poverty rate than either female or young veterans as a whole—almost 14 percent. These disparities are primarily due to varying forms of racial and gender discrimination and inequities.

“About 23,000 active duty personnel received SNAP benefits in 2013, the latest year for which statistics are available”

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Bread for the World Institute

Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation

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Key Facts About SNAP

• SNAP works exactly as it’s supposed to. SNAP was designed to respond quickly and efficiently to increases in need. When poverty and unemployment spiked in 2008, 2009, and 2010, so did SNAP participation.
• SNAP reaches exactly whom it’s supposed to. The average SNAP household has a gross monthly income of $813. This is well below the strict national income limits. Ninety two percent of SNAP benefits go to households with incomes at or below the poverty line.
• SNAP participation increased mainly due to the poor economy. The largest increases in SNAP participation came on the heels of the recession.
• SNAP encourages work. Employment rates among households with children and at least one non-disabled adult rose nearly 10 percent from 2009 to 2015, the Great Recession years.
• SNAP fraud is the exception, not the rule. The USDA tracks two types of SNAP fraud data: trafficking and error rate. The majority of SNAP payment errors are a result of administrative errors, not intentional fraud.
• Charity alone can’t feed everyone. Our federal nutrition programs deliver more than 19 times the amount of food assistance as private charitable sources.

SNAP is a lifeline for millions of Americans. Congress must do its part to end hunger by protecting SNAP.

The post Fact Sheet: Get the Facts About SNAP appeared first on Bread for the World.

Feed the Future, launched in 2010, grew out of the U.S. response, led by President George W. Bush, to the 2007-2008 global food price crisis. Prices of basic foods doubled or tripled in some countries and pushed an additional 150 million people into hunger and malnutrition.

Feed the Future has enabled significant progress against hunger, malnutrition, and poverty in its focus countries. But the current global context, with prolonged conflicts, a changing climate, and deepening inequalities, has stalled or even reversed progress in vulnerable areas around the world. In 2016 (the last year for which there is data), the number of people living with hunger increased from the previous year to 815 million people.

The post Feed the Future appeared first on Bread for the World.

The 2020 Hunger Report, Better Nutrition, Better Tomorrow is available!

2018 Hunger Report

The Jobs Challenge:
Working to End Hunger by 2030

Ending global hunger and extreme poverty is within our grasp. Incomes are rising even in countries once thought to be facing insurmountable challenges, showing that progress is possible anywhere when barriers are removed. A global consensus has now formed that 2030 is an ambitious but attainable target date.

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This paper explains how mass incarceration increases hunger. In a study by the National Institutes of Health, 91 percent of returning citizens reported being food insecure. Many face difficulty securing a place to work and live after being released. In addition, 75 percent of returning citizens report that it is “extremely difficult” or “impossible” to find a job post-incarceration. Even once formerly incarcerated people manage to find jobs, they suffer a permanent reduction in their lifetime earning potential, by nearly $180,000. This explains why 1 in 4 households headed by a returning citizen lives in deep poverty. In addition, incarceration frequently leads to hardships for their families. According to one study, almost 70 percent of households reported having difficulty meeting basic needs, such as food and housing, when a family member was incarcerated.

U.S. poverty would have dropped by 20 percent between 1980 and 2004 if not for mass incarceration.

Social Science Research Network

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In its first 60 years, Food for Peace reached more than 3 billion people living with hunger. In addition to responding to hunger crises, Food for Peace seeks to prevent them. The program works with vulnerable populations, helping communities identify and address the major underlying causes of hunger and malnutrition so that families can, in the future, feed and nourish themselves.

The most important nutrition window in human life is the “1,000 days” between pregnancy and age 2. Nutritional deficiencies during this time have significant lifelong impacts on individuals, communities, and entire countries. Even short bouts of malnutrition can have irreversible effects.

Many of the people trapped in hunger crises are pregnant women, babies, and toddlers in the 1,000-day period. Thus, food assistance that includes nutritious food for pregnant women and young children is both a life-and-death matter for individuals and an economic imperative for countries.

Even short bouts of malnutrition can have irreversible effects

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Dear Members of Congress,

As the president and Congress are preparing their plans for this year, almost 100 church leaders—from all the families of U.S. Christianity—are sharing a common “Unity Statement” on racism and poverty. As Christians, we are grounded in God’s love for all people, and we feel called to ask our churches and political leaders of both parties to work together to overcome racism and poverty which are theological, biblical, and gospel issues for us, not merely political or partisan ones.

This moment in time and the clear movement of the Spirit have brought diverse multi-racial church leaders together over the last several months for dinner conversations and times of prayer. Out of those moving times together, we developed a Unity Statement on Racism and Poverty. It has attracted many more racially and theologically diverse church leaders and is now embraced by the Circle of Protection, the broadest group of Christian leaders focused on poverty. The leaders who have signed this statement are from African-American, Hispanic, Asian-American, Native American, Evangelical, Catholic, Pentecostal, and mainline Protestant churches; and many national faith-based organizations. We are all committed to help build a fresh, newly energetic, multi-racial Christian movement to make the integral connection between racism and poverty and seek the spiritual power to end both. We are also committed and are ready to work with allies from other faith communities on the crucial intersection between racism and poverty as it shapes public policy.

We are purposefully sending you this statement before you go to your respective retreats. In addition to reading this statement thoughtfully, we ask for the following three things: first, we ask you to discuss this statement and the issues central to it—racism and poverty—at your retreats; second, we ask you to incorporate these concerns into your policy decisions and legislation in 2018 and beyond; third, we ask you to convene meetings with faith leaders in your communities to plan follow-up action on these issues in your states and districts. Racism and poverty are systemic issues that are central to the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Therefore, they are critical to policy choices made by political leaders of faith and conscience. We will be following up with you directly to see how we can be helpful and useful to you as you consider these deeply biblical and theological issues.

We believe if we Christians from diverse backgrounds and traditions were known, not mostly for our divisions, but for our unity in a shared commitment to faithfully address both racism and poverty—together—it could be powerful force—both for our churches and the country. So help us God. 

Rev. Jim Wallis
President and Founder, Sojourners 

Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner
Co-Convener, National African-American Clergy Network and President, Skinner Leadership Institute

Rev. David Beckmann
President, Bread for the World

Rev. Carlos Malavé
Executive Director, Christian Churches Together USA
(in his personal capacity)

The post Faith Leaders' Unity Declaration on Racism and Poverty appeared first on Bread for the World.

Ending hunger in the United States is within reach, explain Marlysa Gamblin and Margot Nitschke, in Getting to Zero Hunger by 2030. Our country has already committed to doing so by 2030 as part of a set of 17 global goals that also include ending extreme poverty. But achieving zero hunger requires identifying the people most likely to be hungry and supporting policies that give them access to the opportunities they need to build a better life.

Members of many groups are more vulnerable to hunger than the average American. For example, more than 1.4 million military veterans live below the poverty line. Adults with disabilities are twice as likely to live with hunger and poverty as the general U.S. population. Women, children, and older Americans run similar higher risks of hunger and poverty.

Ending U.S. hunger and poverty is quite possible. But it requires two things — first, that we acknowledge the role of racial inequality in the high hunger and poverty rates among communities of color, and second, that we work together to tackle these inequalities in our workforce, communities, and schools.

Schools that are 90% white spend $773 more per student than schools with 90% students of color.

USDA

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Overall, adults with very low food security are 40 percent more likely to have a chronic illness than adults in households with high food security.

On average, the number of chronic conditions for adults in households with low food security is 18 percent higher than for those in households with high food security. Even adults in households with marginal food security were nine percent less likely to report excellent health than those in households with high food security.

Chronic conditions are costly both in terms of human life and in financial terms. Chronic conditions often pose barriers to employment and other life activities and can also hasten death.

Key Terms:

• Very Low Food Security
  At times during the year, eating patterns of one or more household members were disrupted and food intake reduced because the household lacked money and other resources for food.
• High Food Security:
  Households had no problems or anxiety about consistently accessing adequate food.

“Food insecurity status is more strongly predictive of chronic illness in some cases even than income.”

USDA Economic Research Service

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People shouldn’t have to choose between paying for food or medicine. Ensuring individuals can access affordable health insurance is a critical component in reaching the goal of ending hunger by 2030. When more people are insured, struggling households are better able to afford nutritious food and lead healthier lives.

In 2015, for the first time in eight years, the United States saw a significant decline in the overall rate of food insecurity and poverty. This decline was due, in part, to increased access to health care through the expansion of Medicaid and overall health insurance enrollment through the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Millions of Americans have gained coverage through the ACA. However, health care costs continue to rise and too many moderate to low-income families are still unable to afford quality health insurance. To end hunger by 2030, the United States must have a health care system that works for all.

“Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another…”

John 13:34

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God of grace and God of mercy, 
Our hearts break as we watch stories on the news,
Of dangerous flood, of lost lives, and rains that won’t stop. 
Of trembling earth that destroys homes and takes lives.
We trust that you are present in the desperation and hopelessness that abounds.
Transform our broken hearts so that we might be agents of your love in the coming days and months.
God in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Amen.

Millions throughout the Caribbean and the southern United States have been and continue to be affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Maria. Many lives continue to be at risk. At the same time, earthquakes in Guanajuato and Mexico City have left hundreds dead and more missing. Many of our partner denominations and organizations are responding to these disasters. They are bringing hope to our neighbors, particularly to the most vulnerable people.

Some are working through national agencies, while others are working diligently with local churches and organizations. We have highlighted several of our partners’ national efforts below. To help victims of the two earthquakes in Mexico we refer you to the Cruz Roja Mexicana, the Red Cross of Mexico.

We are proud to partner with these denominations and organizations in our work to end hunger.

• African Methodist Episcopal Church has provided recovery links
• Adventist Development and Relief
• Baptist World Alliance
• Catholic Relief Services and for Mexico relief
• Catholic Charities USA 
• Convoy of Hope (National Association of Evangelicals)
• Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
• Episcopal Relief & Development
• Evangelical Covenant Church
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
• International Pentecostal Holiness Church has a disaster response agency
• National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.
• Nazarene Compassionate Ministry
• Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
• Salvation Army
• Saint Vincent de Paul Disaster Services
• United Methodist Committee on Relief for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria
• Wesleyan Church and World Hope International are partnering in response to the recent hurricanes
• World Renew
• World Vision

Rev. Nancy Neal is interim director of church relations at Bread for the World.

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Because the world has made so much progress against hunger in recent decades, those who face hunger, malnutrition, and extreme poverty are increasingly likely to live in areas currently experiencing or recovering from crises. They are the hardest to reach and the most likely to be left behind.

Improving the lives of the most vulnerable people requires a focus on both meeting their immediate needs and enabling families and communities to move toward resilience.

Improving maternal and child nutrition must be a top priority. It is critical that the United States continue to provide support to vulnerable populations in effective ways that maximize improvements in nutrition.

The United States must work within the global community to address both immediate and long-term needs in food security and nutrition, especially in fragile and vulnerable contexts.

Case studies from Uganda and Malawi help us understand:

• Improving nutrition must be a goal of any decisions regarding the funding or implementation of U.S. food assistance programs.
• It is necessary for all aspects and areas of Food for Peace to emphasize and invest in better nutrition as an explicit objective.
• The United States must protect and continue funding for multi-sectoral food security and nutrition development programs for the most vulnerable populations.

Jordan Teague is international policy analyst for food security and nutrition at Bread for the World Institute.

“The intersection of humanitarian and development is resilience building…Unless we do them all, we won’t succeed.”

Mark Green, Administrator, USAID

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]]> https://www.bread.org/article/budget-cuts-could-reverse-progress-on-u-s-poverty/ Wed, 13 Sep 2017 11:30:00 +0000 https://www.bread.org/article/budget-cuts-could-reverse-progress-on-u-s-poverty/ Washington, D.C. – New data released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows the poverty rate dropped from 13.5 percent in 2015 to 12.7 percent in 2016 (latest figures available). That means 2.5 million fewer people are living in poverty than 2015. While this is good news, 40.6 million Americans are still living in poverty. Bread for

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]]> Washington, D.C. – New data released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows the poverty rate dropped from 13.5 percent in 2015 to 12.7 percent in 2016 (latest figures available). That means 2.5 million fewer people are living in poverty than 2015.

While this is good news, 40.6 million Americans are still living in poverty. Bread for the World warned that proposed budget cuts could reverse the progress that has been made and push millions more families into poverty.   

“It is certainly good news that the number of people living in poverty continues to decline in the U.S.,” said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. “We must keep building on this progress. But if Congress cuts programs that help families who are struggling, we will again see the number of people living in poverty rise.”

U.S. poverty rates fell or remained unchanged for every demographic group. For African-Americans, the poverty rate fell from 24.1 percent in 2015 to 22 percent in 2016. For Latinos, it fell from 21.4 percent to 19.4 percent, and for female-headed families, the rate fell by 1.6 percent. However, African-American and Latinos communities still have disproportionately higher rates of poverty than the general population.

Federal anti-poverty programs have substantially reduced poverty and hunger in the U.S. The official poverty rate does not take into account the benefits of many of these programs.

Without the earned income tax credit and child tax credit, 8.2 million more people would have lived in poverty in 2016. SNAP (food stamps) kept 3.6 million people out of poverty, including 1.5 million children. The school lunch program took 1.4 million people out of poverty.

“The best way to end poverty is to ensure people have access to jobs that provide a decent wage,” said Beckmann. He added that the reduction in poverty can be attributed, in part, to a 3.2 percent increase in the median household income – to $59,000 – as well as an increase in the number of Americans accessing health insurance. With more people insured, struggling households don’t have to make the difficult decision between purchasing food or medicine.

“Safety-net programs continue to keep millions of families out of poverty,” Beckmann said. “If Congress cuts these programs they will be pushing millions of people into poverty and hunger. We have come too far to go back now.”  

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]]> https://www.bread.org/article/from-hunger-to-hunger/ Wed, 06 Sep 2017 14:45:00 +0000 https://www.bread.org/article/from-hunger-to-hunger/ By Marlysa Gamblin and Jordan Teague In recent years, Bread for the World’s work has led us to look at immigration, especially undocumented immigration, as a hunger issue — both here in the United States and in low-income home countries around the world. In our new background paper, From Hunger to Hunger: Undocumented Immigrants Face

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]]> By Marlysa Gamblin and Jordan Teague

In recent years, Bread for the World’s work has led us to look at immigration, especially undocumented immigration, as a hunger issue — both here in the United States and in low-income home countries around the world.

In our new background paper, From Hunger to Hunger: Undocumented Immigrants Face Hunger on Both Sides of the Border, we explain that many undocumented immigrants flee from hunger in their home countries due to extreme poverty only to face hunger once they arrive in the United States. Unfortunately, many remain at high risk of hunger and poverty even after years of living and working here.

As a Christian organization, Bread for the World is working to end hunger by 2030, a goal adopted by the United States and 194 other countries in 2015. To achieve this goal, we must understand what makes undocumented immigration a hunger issue and how improved U.S. policies could help. We must also develop longer-term solutions by responding to the root causes of undocumented immigration.

Our nation has the unique opportunity to practice love, the most important commandment of all (Mark 12) in the way we respond to undocumented immigration. To learn more about the biblical basis for our work on undocumented immigration, please read “The Bible and Immigration Reform.”

Did You Know?

• The proportion of immigrants to the United States who are fleeing their home countries rather than seeking more opportunities is increasing. Many immigrants are pushed from their home countries by factors beyond their control, such as extreme poverty, hunger, violence, and unsafe, insecure living conditions.
• Since 2014, there have been more undocumented immigrants from Central America apprehended at the southern U.S. border than from Mexico. In fact, in 2016 more than 90 percent of the families apprehended came from three countries — El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. These three countries are among the poorest in the world, with extremely high levels of hunger and malnutrition.
• Even immigrants from stable countries such as Mexico face problems that “push” them out of their home countries. While Mexico’s economy has grown, most of the wealth has not gone to the poorest; about half of Mexico’s population lives below the poverty line. The poorest 20 percent of people in Mexico have only 5 percent of the national income. They also live in “food poverty,” meaning that according to government statistics, their income is not enough to meet even basic food needs.

Did You Know?

• Deportation of undocumented immigrants puts 4.5 million U.S.-born children at risk of falling into deeper hunger, both immediately as children and later as adults. Removing a parent also removes his or her financial support from a struggling household. Children who have a parent in detention are three times as likely to develop mental health problems, speech delays, and troubled academic records, all factors that increase a child’s likelihood of remaining food insecure as an adult.
• Contrary to popular belief, undocumented immigrants are not eligible to receive safety net program benefits — this despite the $11.6 billion in taxes that undocumented immigrants contribute each year, and the fact that they are three times as likely as the “average” American to live below the poverty line.
• Mass deportations would reduce the nation’s GDP by $4.7 trillion over the next 10 years. On the other hand, comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship could significantly increase the U.S. tax base and tax revenues.

In the effort to end hunger by 2030, we cannot examine policies in a vacuum. Bread for the World calls for comprehensive immigration policy that takes into account hunger and poverty as root causes of undocumented immigration and that provides better opportunities for immigrants living in hunger and poverty in the United States. We urge the U.S. government to strive for lasting solutions to hunger and poverty on both sides of the border as part of any immigration policy.

For more information, read Bread for the World Institute’s new background paper, From Hunger to Hunger: Undocumented Immigrants Face Hunger on Both Sides of the Border.

Marlysa Gamblin is a domestic advisor for policy and programs, specific populations at Bread for the World Institute. Jordan Teague is an international policy analyst for food security and nutrition at Bread for the World Institute.

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]]> https://www.bread.org/article/international-development-association-ida-and-nutrition/ Fri, 01 Sep 2017 15:15:00 +0000 https://www.bread.org/article/international-development-association-ida-and-nutrition/ Improving maternal and child nutrition is the most cost-effective investment in international human and economic development. Improving nutrition not only alleviates human suffering, but also improves the conditions that create poverty in the first place. For every $1 invested in nutrition, there is a return of $16 in improved productivity and decreased healthcare costs. Nutritional

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]]> Improving maternal and child nutrition is the most cost-effective investment in international human and economic development.

Improving nutrition not only alleviates human suffering, but also improves the conditions that create poverty in the first place. For every $1 invested in nutrition, there is a return of $16 in improved productivity and decreased healthcare costs.

Nutritional needs around the world are still immense. 155 million children under 5 — about one in every four — suffer from chronic malnutrition, or stunting. At any given time, approximately 52 million children are acutely malnourished — a condition that leads to death if not promptly treated. At this writing, in the summer of 2017, 1.4 million children are at immediate risk of death from starvation and malnutrition in four countries at imminent risk of famine.

The International Development Association (IDA) is the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries, those whose per capita gross national income is less than USD $1,215. In 2017, there are 77 eligible nations. IDA plays a key role in boosting nutrition for women and children in these vulnerable countries. By pooling Official Development Assistance contributions from individual donors, IDA provides significant and stable funding for basic services such as health and nutrition. Every $1 contribution from the United States leverages or attracts nearly $13 from other donors and the World Bank. IDA focuses on nutrition in both emergencies and long-term development contexts.

IDA will reach 400 million women and children with health and nutrition services over the next three years

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]]> https://www.bread.org/article/the-dream-act-of-2017-s-1615-h-r-3440/ Tue, 15 Aug 2017 12:30:00 +0000 https://www.bread.org/article/the-dream-act-of-2017-s-1615-h-r-3440/ Overview The United States is a nation of immigrants. Throughout its history, people have moved here from all over the world and have contributed to their communities and our national life. Today, as in the past, immigrants are also creating prosperity for this nation.  Despite their contributions, many immigrants face discrimination and barriers to opportunity.

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]]> Overview

The United States is a nation of immigrants. Throughout its history, people have moved here from all over the world and have contributed to their communities and our national life. Today, as in the past, immigrants are also creating prosperity for this nation. 

Despite their contributions, many immigrants face discrimination and barriers to opportunity. This increases their likelihood of struggling with hunger and poverty. The national rate of household food insecurity is 12.7 percent, while the rate for households with undocumented immigrants is 24 percent. Undocumented migrant and seasonal workers face food insecurity rates as high as 65 percent.

Background

In 2012, in response to our broken immigration system, President Obama announced a new Department of Homeland Security policy called The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. DACA provides temporary relief and protection from removal as well as work authorization to young undocumented students and veterans who grew up in the United States. Many findings indicate that DACA has significantly helped undocumented youth achieve higher paying jobs and education while increasing their contribution to the local economy.

About the Bill

The Dream Act of 2017 would offer a path to permanent legal status for millions of undocumented immigrant youths. The bill passage is crucial given the fact that DACA’s future is uncertain. Recently, 10 attorneys general sent the U.S Attorney General Jeff Sessions a letter threatening to sue the Trump administration if the DACA program was not terminated by Sept. 5, 2017.

A pathway to citizenship under the Dream Act would ensure that Dreamers can continue to contribute to their communities through work, service, and schooling. The proposed legislation would provide Conditional Permanent Residency and employment authorization for eight years. Afterward, Dreamers could apply for Legal Permanent Residency and begin the application process for citizenship.  

We urge all members of Congress to co-sponsor the Dream Act of 2017. Bread for the World will continue to support legislation, like the Dream Act, that strives for lasting solutions to our broken immigration system. To ultimately end hunger, achieving solutions that last is key.

Take Action on This Issue

Give “Dreamers” a Pathway to Citizenship. Urge your members of Congress to co-sponsor and support the bipartisan Dream Act of 2017

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]]> https://www.bread.org/article/vaticans-dry-fountains-highlight-plight-of-starving-children-worldwide/ Tue, 08 Aug 2017 19:15:00 +0000 https://www.bread.org/article/vaticans-dry-fountains-highlight-plight-of-starving-children-worldwide/ By Faustine Wabwire I remember Rome like it was yesterday. Last fall, in 2016, I had the pleasure of visiting Rome on pilgrimage and to soak in the majesty of the eternal city. As a first-time pilgrim, I marveled at the 17th century regal fountains of St. Peter’s Square, among other masterpieces. These memories remain

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]]> By Faustine Wabwire

I remember Rome like it was yesterday.

Last fall, in 2016, I had the pleasure of visiting Rome on pilgrimage and to soak in the majesty of the eternal city. As a first-time pilgrim, I marveled at the 17th century regal fountains of St. Peter’s Square, among other masterpieces. These memories remain very fresh in my mind.

That is why a news item of July 25, 2017, immediately caught my attention: The Vatican turned off all of its 100 fountains, including two Baroque masterpieces in St. Peter’s Square and interior fountains in the Vatican Gardens. The objective? To save water due to an ongoing prolonged drought. Did you know that the city of Rome is experiencing one of its worst droughts in decades? The drought is said to have affected almost two-thirds of Italy’s farmland as well as its capital, Rome.

It makes perfect sense to me.

Rome is not alone. Today, the effects of severe droughts are a shared experience of millions of children, women, and men. This year, droughts have brought millions to the verge of starvation. Drought is part of a wider-scale event sweeping across swathes of the Horn of Africa region, for example. In Somalia, the effects of three consecutive failed rainy seasons, coupled with the cumulative impact of more than 20 years of civil conflict, have meant severe water and pasture shortages in pastoral regions, decimated livestock, and reduced milk production. A people’s livelihood destroyed. Today, more than 6 million people in Somalia — half the population — need urgent humanitarian assistance. The most vulnerable populations in the most affected areas are living at a higher risk of starvation than others.

Looked at one way, we are at a crisis moment that should force us all to act. That is why, in my recent testimony before Congress, I emphasized that climate change is not a myth, that it threatens to undo the steady progress we have made against global hunger and extreme poverty. I have seen firsthand the devastating effects of climate change on communities that are already struggling with hunger. It is undercutting the gains we have made in development over the past decades.

Recently, I asked a mother of four in northern Kenya about her thoughts on climate change. She said, “It is destroying the dreams of my young family. I want to abandon this farm. It no longer produces enough to nourish my family … yet I have nowhere to go.”

Prolonged drought not only reduces the ability of households to feed themselves, but also erodes assets. The loss of valuable animals such as cattle makes it difficult for families to recover. It is still more difficult to be prepared for future droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events that have become more frequent due to climate change. Millions of people all over the world, particularly children, are suffering from these effects today.

To make matters even worse, current severe droughts are triggering disease epidemics such as cholera. In many of the areas affected by famine — in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia, and northeastern Nigeria — inadequate quantities and quality of water because of drought, the inaccessibility of safe water sources due to ongoing conflict, and high water prices beyond the reach of many, has forced people to drink unsafe water. As a result, devastating outbreaks of cholera, a deadly water-borne disease, could kill thousands of people in all four countries.

The Vatican is doing its part to conserve water, which is a shared resource for all of us, no matter where we live. The dry fountains in Rome are telling us a bigger story.

The scientific evidence points to more frequent and prolonged droughts, both now and in the future. Pope Francis’s encyclical, Laudato Si, released in June 2015, makes a strong moral argument for why all peoples must confront climate change. It makes a clear connection between changing global weather patterns and hunger. By shutting down the city-state’s 100 fountains, Pope Francis is again sending a message to all of us, especially world leaders, to pay close attention to the plight of the 20 million people on the brink of starvation — and to act. Large-scale, coordinated humanitarian assistance is critical to save millions of lives, especially those of children under 5, who are more vulnerable to death from malnutrition than older children and adults.

Faustine Wabwire is senior foreign assistance policy advisor in Bread for the World Institute.

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]]> https://www.bread.org/article/international-development-association-ida-at-the-world-bank/ Mon, 03 Jul 2017 13:15:00 +0000 https://www.bread.org/article/international-development-association-ida-at-the-world-bank/ IDA provides an efficient channel for Official Development Assistance, where donor resources are pooled together, along with other resources such as repayments, to provide a stable and substantial source of funding for basic services in countries with the most need. The causes and consequences of fragility do not have national borders, and can even have

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]]> IDA provides an efficient channel for Official Development Assistance, where donor resources are pooled together, along with other resources such as repayments, to provide a stable and substantial source of funding for basic services in countries with the most need.

The causes and consequences of fragility do not have national borders, and can even have global dimensions. IDA’s increased focus on fragility will allow the global community to both respond to fragility, conflict, and violence, and to mitigate these risks.

IDA also takes an integrated approach to development in the countries in which it invests. For example, in recent years, 38 percent of IDA’s commitments were focused on developing the private sector to facilitate broad, inclusive growth in countries and create resilient economies.

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]]> https://www.bread.org/article/budget-101/ Fri, 05 May 2017 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.bread.org/article/budget-101/ Through the federal budget process, Congress can make funding decisions that put us on track to end hunger and poverty. Regardless of which political party controls Congress or the White House, our elected leaders must write, pass, and administer our nation’s budget. Through the federal budget our government invests in many anti-poverty and anti-hunger programs

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]]> Through the federal budget process, Congress can make funding decisions that put us on track to end hunger and poverty. Regardless of which political party controls Congress or the White House, our elected leaders must write, pass, and administer our nation’s budget. Through the federal budget our government invests in many anti-poverty and anti-hunger programs that help people stay out of poverty and thrive.

This guide answers the questions:

• How is the federal government’s budget put together?
• Why is it an important tool and place for advocacy to end hunger?

In simple terms, this fact sheet and our corresponding infographic explain the often complex process of developing a budget for the federal government.

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]]> https://www.bread.org/es/fundamentos-del-presupuesto-el-hambre-y-el-presupuesto-nacional/ Fri, 05 May 2017 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.bread.org/es/fundamentos-del-presupuesto-el-hambre-y-el-presupuesto-nacional/ Por medio del proceso presupuestario, el Congreso puede tomar decisiones de financiación que nos ponen en el camino hacia el fin del hambre y la pobreza. Sin importar cuál partido controla el Congreso o la Casa Blanca, nuestros líderes electos deben formular, aprobar y administrar el presupuesto de nuestro país. Es por medio del presupuesto

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]]> Por medio del proceso presupuestario, el Congreso puede tomar decisiones de financiación que nos ponen en el camino hacia el fin del hambre y la pobreza. Sin importar cuál partido controla el Congreso o la Casa Blanca, nuestros líderes electos deben formular, aprobar y administrar el presupuesto de nuestro país. Es por medio del presupuesto federal que nuestro gobierno invierte en muchos programas contra el hambre y la pobreza que ayudan a las personas a evitar la pobreza y a prosperar.

Un presupuesto es más que un documento financiero — es a la vez un documento moral. Es una declaración de las prioridades y los valores de nuestra nación. Nuestro presupuesto federal se debe medir por cómo trata a los más vulnerables entre nosotros.

Al establecer un presupuesto, los legisladores en el Congreso pueden cambiar las políticas, los programas y las condiciones que permiten que persistan el hambre y la pobreza. Con solo un plumazo al aprobar un presupuesto federal, se crean políticas que pueden reorientar millones de dólares y afectar a millones de vidas.

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]]> https://www.bread.org/article/ending-u-s-hunger-and-poverty-by-focusing-on-communities-where-its-most-likely/ Tue, 28 Mar 2017 15:15:00 +0000 https://www.bread.org/article/ending-u-s-hunger-and-poverty-by-focusing-on-communities-where-its-most-likely/ By Marlysa D. Gamblin Some people in the United States are at least twice as likely as the general U.S. population to be hungry and/or experiencing poverty. They belong to some of the country’s major demographic groups: African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, households led by single women, undocumented immigrants, and people returning from prison. The

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]]> By Marlysa D. Gamblin

Some people in the United States are at least twice as likely as the general U.S. population to be hungry and/or experiencing poverty. They belong to some of the country’s major demographic groups: African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, households led by single women, undocumented immigrants, and people returning from prison.

The United States has made a new commitment to leaving no one behind as the country moves toward a goal of ending hunger and poverty by 2030. To reduce hunger and poverty among these communities, Congress and the administration should:

• Prioritize communities most affected by hunger and poverty
• Strengthen the U.S. safety net
• Support policies that protect workers and enable them to become financially secure
• Eliminate “concentrated poverty” by 2025

Unlike in decades past, the United States has the tools and knowledge to put an end to hunger, food insecurity, and poverty — and we can accomplish this rather quickly, by 2030. We need only the leadership and the determination to do it.

Marlysa D. Gamblin is domestic advisor for policy and programs, specific populations at Bread for the World Institute.

“Ending hunger in America is a goal that is literally within our grasp.”

Jeff Bridges, founder, End Hunger Network

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