FAITH focus 3B Do something: 11ways you can fight hunger
BY BARBARA DUNLAP-BERG United Methodist News Service
Every minute, 11 children, age 5 or
younger, die of hunger-related causes, according to the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society. About 800 million people suffer from chronic or acute hunger. Think this is a problem too big for
you to make a difference? Not so. To help you get started, here are 11 ways you can make a difference today. • Go the second mile through
The Advance. The Advance, an ac- countable, designated-giving arm of the United Methodist Church, ensures 100 percent of each gift reaches its in- tended mission or ministry. Working in 100 countries around the globe, Ad- vance projects not only alleviate suf- fering and respond to disasters but also address the root causes of poverty and injustice, and improve the quality of life through development and education. • Buy a water buffalo . . . or a goat
. . . or a flock of chicks through Heifer International.A charitable gift through Heifer International, a United Methodist partner, provides animals and training to help families around the world build a better future
for themselves and their communi- ties. Traditionally, recipient families give the first offspring of the animal they receive to another family, and the gift, quite literally, keeps on giving. • Make a group, housing or agri-
culture loan to an entrepreneur across the globe for as little as $25. Kiva is a nonprofit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leverag- ing the Internet and a worldwide net- work of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend big or small amounts to help create opportunity around the world. • Participate in Stop Hunger
Now, a United Methodist partner and international hunger-relief organiza- tion that coordinates food distribution and other lifesaving aid. More than 100,000 volunteers have packaged meals through Stop Hunger Now’s meal-packaging program. These meal packages are shipped around the world to support school feeding pro- grams and crisis relief. • Urge Congress to end hunger
through the Bread for the World letters campaign. The interfaith or- ganization, another United Methodist partner, is a collective Christian voice encouraging U.S. decision-makers to
end hunger globally. Bread for the World members write personal letters and emails and meet with members of the U.S. Congress. • Walk to help others. CROP
Hunger Walks sponsored by the UM- supported Church World Service, are popular hunger-fighting venues for people of all ages. Walkers collect pledges for each mile they walk. More than 2,000 communities across the U.S. join in more than 1,600 CROP Hunger Walks each year. • Become a “backpack buddy.”
Children who depend on free school breakfasts and lunches may go hun- gry at suppertime and on weekends. “Backpack buddies” programs provide children from food-insecure homes with weekend meals during the school year. Local churches and other groups collect and pack bags with child- friendly nonperishable food. • Contribute to—or start—a
food pantry at your church. Don’t know much about it? Get involved in community or state food banks to learn. Feeding America is a good re- source. Its mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks. • Deliver Meals on Wheels. Meals on Wheels is the oldest and largest na-
UMNS PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SOCIETY OF ST. ANDREW
Preschoolers join volunteer efforts with the Society of St. Andrew to pack sweet potatoes during the Virginia Annual Conference sessions in Norfolk, Va.
tional organization made up of local, community-based programs in all 50 U.S. states and U.S. territories. • Glean through the Society of
St. Andrew. The ecumenical organi- zation founded by United Methodists has three hunger-relief programs. The Gleaning Network and the Potato and Produce Project deliver donated left- over and unmarketable agricultural produce to people in need. The third—Harvest of Hope—informs
people about the hunger problem and invites them to be part of the solution. • Give through Souper Bowl of
Caring.Mobilizing young people to fight hunger and poverty in their local communities, Souper Bowl of Caring is a youth-led effort that encourages peo- ple to each contribute one dollar at worship services on Super Bowl Sun- day. In 2011 across the United States, 15,238 groups generated $9,583,338 in cash and food items for local charities.
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